Design, development, and instrumentation of isopiestic experimental setup

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Physical Chemistry
• Chemical Engineering

Background:

• Accurate thermodynamic data is crucial for understanding material behavior and alloy development.
• Existing methods for vapor pressure measurement can be limited in scope or precision.
• The isopiestic method offers a reliable approach for determining thermodynamic properties.

Purpose of the Study:

• To design, fabricate, and commission a novel isopiestic experimental facility for precise vapor pressure measurements.
• To enable the derivation of key thermodynamic properties of alloys and compounds as a function of temperature and composition.
• To validate the performance of the developed facility using a known system.

Main Methods:

• The facility utilizes a pair of furnaces, precise temperature controllers, and a thermocouple movement mechanism.
• Automated user interface and data collection systems streamline the experimental process.
• Four independent experimental setups were commissioned for parallel measurements.

Main Results:

• The experimental facility was successfully commissioned and validated.
• Vapor pressure data as a function of temperature and composition can be accurately determined.
• A Pr-Cd isopiestic run confirmed the facility's reliability by yielding results comparable to literature data.

Conclusions:

• The developed isopiestic facility is a robust tool for thermodynamic property determination.
• This setup facilitates the study of volatile components over condensed phases in various material systems.
• The accurate thermodynamic data obtained can inform the design and application of alloys and compounds.