# Ternary Mixtures of N-Docosane, N-Tricosane and N-Tetracosane

H. Nouar, D. Petitjean, M. Bouroukba, M. Dirand

► To cite this version:

H. Nouar, D. Petitjean, M. Bouroukba, M. Dirand. Ternary Mixtures of N-Docosane, N-Tricosane and N-Tetracosane. Revue de l'Institut Français du Pétrole, 1998, 53 (1), pp.21-26. 10.2516/ogst:1998004. hal-02078904

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<figure><img src="image_1.png" /></figure>

Distributed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License
TERNARY MIXTURES
OF n-DOCOSANE,
n-TRICOSANE
AND n-TETRACOSANE

H. NOUAR, D. PETITJEAN, M. BOUROUKBA
and M. DIRAND

Institut national polytechnique de Lorraine¹

MÉLANGES TERNAIRES DE n-DOCOSANE,
n-TRICOSANE ET n-TÉTRACOSANE

Les diagrammes de phases des systèmes binaires : n-docosane : n-tricosane (C₂₂H₄₆ : C₂₃H₄₈), n-tricosane : n-tétracosane (C₂₃H₄₈ : C₂₄H₅₀) et n-docosane : n-tétracosane (C₂₂H₄₆ : C₂₄H₅₀) ont été établis à partir d'analyses thermiques différentielles (ATD) et structurales. Sur la base de ces résultats, ainsi que de l'examen aux rayons X de 41 mélanges ternaires, le diagramme de phases du ternaire (C₂₂H₄₆ : C₂₃H₄₈ : C₂₄H₅₀) à température ambiante est proposé. Ce travail a indiqué l'existence de domaines limités de solutions solides au voisinage des trois n-alkanes purs, ainsi que de trois régions de phases intermédiaires orthorhombiques (notées β'₁, β''₁, β''₂) identiques à celles observées avec les systèmes binaires. Les analyses aux rayons X ont montré que les phases β'₁ et β''₂ situées de part et d'autre de la phase médiane intermédiaire β''₁ sont isostructurales, tout comme dans le cas des systèmes binaires.

TERNARY MIXTURES OF *n*-DOCOSANE,
*n*-TRICOSANE AND *n*-TETRACOSANE

Binary phase diagrams of the systems: *n*-docosane: *n*-tricosane (C₂₂H₄₆: C₂₃H₄₈), *n*-tricosane: *n*-tetracosane (C₂₃H₄₈: C₂₄H₅₀) and *n*-docosane: *n*-tetracosane (C₂₂H₄₆: C₂₄H₅₀) have been established by means of structural and differential scanning calorimetry analyses. On the basis of these results and of X-ray examination of forty one ternary mixtures, it is proposed the ternary phase diagram (C₂₂H₄₆: C₂₃H₄₈: C₂₄H₅₀) at room temperature. This work has indicated the existence of limited terminal solid solutions near the three pure *n*-alkanes and three domains of orthorhombic intermediate phases (noted *β'₁*, *β''₁*, *β''₂*) identical to those observed in the binary systems. X-ray experiments have showed that the phases *β'₁*, *β''₂* situated on the both sides of the middle intermediate phase *β'₁*, are isostructural as in the binary systems.

MEZCLAS TERNARIAS DE *n*-DOCOSANO,
*n*-TRICOSANO Y *n*-TETRACOSANO

Los diagramas de fases de los sistemas binarios : n-docosano :
n-tricosano (C<sub>22</sub>H<sub>46</sub> : C<sub>23</sub>H<sub>48</sub>) : n-tetracosano (C<sub>23</sub>H<sub>48</sub> : C<sub>24</sub>H<sub>50</sub>) y :
n-docosano : n-tetracosano (C<sub>22</sub>H<sub>46</sub> : C<sub>24</sub>H<sub>50</sub>) se han establecido
tomando como punto de partida análisis térmicos diferenciales

<footnote>(1) Laboratoire de thermodynamique des séparations.
École nationale supérieure des industries chimiques,
1, rue Grandville,
54001 Nancy Cedex - France</footnote>
(ATD) y estructurales. Con base a estos resultados, así como el
examen por rayos X de 41 mezclas ternarias, se propone el
diagrama de fases de la expresión ternaria (C<sub>22</sub>H<sub>46</sub> : C<sub>23</sub>H<sub>48</sub> ;
C<sub>24</sub>H<sub>50</sub>) a la temperatura ambiente. Este trabajo ha indicado la
existencia de campos limitados de soluciones sólidas en las
cercanías de los tres *n*-alkanos puros, así como de tres regiones
de fases intermedias hortohómbicas (anotadas β'<sub>1</sub>, β"<sub>1</sub>, β'<sub>2</sub>)
idénticas de aquellas observadas con los sistemas binarios. Los
análisis efectuados por rayos X han demostrado que las fases β'<sub>1</sub>
y β'<sub>2</sub> que se sitúan por ambas partes de la fase mediana β"<sub>1</sub> son
isoestructurales, del mismo modo que ocurre al tratarse de los
sistemas binarios.

INTRODUCTION

Studies relative to the behaviour of pure *n*-alkanes and mixtures with temperature constitute a subject of industrial and scientific interest. In fact, such works lead to the knowledge of thermodynamic and structural properties and should allow modelisation of thermodynamic properties of petroleum or wax [1-3]. Actually, there are in literature some articles which present the structural and thermodynamic characteristics of pure components and mixtures [4-9]. Some binary phase diagrams relative to the mixtures of even-even [4] and [5], odd-odd [6-8] or even-odd *n*-numbered alkanes are also proposed. Nevertheless, at our knowledge, no ternary phase diagram was already published. The purpose of this article is to present the phase diagrams of the binary systems: *n*C<sub>22</sub>H<sub>46</sub>; *n*C<sub>23</sub>H<sub>48</sub>; *n*C<sub>24</sub>H<sub>50</sub>; and *n*C<sub>22</sub>H<sub>46</sub>:*n*C<sub>24</sub>H<sub>50</sub> and also the ternary phase diagram at room temperature.

# 1 EXPERIMENTAL METHOD

All pure components come from the *Aldrich Chemical Company*. Their purity grades are given over to 99%. These values were confirmed by gas chromatography and mass spectrometry analyses. The mixtures of *n*-alkanes were obtained by quenching into nitrogen liquid of molten mixtures previously prepared by weighing of each component in the appropriate proportions.

The high velocity of the cooling allows to obtain a
solid sample with a homogeneous composition in each
component. Then, the samples were ground in order to
obtain a powder for X-ray and thermal analyses.

As concerns the calorimetric studies, they were
realised by means of *Setaram* DSC 111. This
calorimeter is of type Tian Calvet. The samples
examined were heated from 292 K to over the melting
point at a rate of 0.5 K/min. In these conditions, the
onset and end temperatures of the transitions were
determined with an accuracy of ±0.5 K.

Concerning the structural analyses, two methods
were used:

- A Guinier de Wolff camera (copper radiation) was employed to observe the structural modifications at room temperature with the composition. This technique is particularly adapted to this type of
analysis, because the sample holder allows to
examine simultaneously four samples.

- A counter diffractometer (copper radiation) was used to identify the structure of the phase resulting of the temperature increase. A special sample holder based on the Peltier effect was adapted on the diffractometer. This apparatus allows the temperature control of the sample with an accuracy of ±0.5 K around the set point.

The results obtained by the calorimetric and
structural analyses allowed us to propose three binary
phase diagrams. These latter added to those resulting
from the examination of the X-rays patterns relative to
the ternary mixtures taken at room temperature lead
to the proposition of the ternary phase diagram:
*nC*₂₂*nH*₄₆: *nC*₂₃*nH*₄₈: *nC*₂₄*nH*₅₀.

**2 EXPERIMENTAL RESULTS**

**2.1 Structural behaviour of the pure
components and of their mixtures
versus temperature**

The behaviour of *n*-alkanes (C*n*) at room tem-
perature is different according to the length of the
molecule and the parity of the *n*-numbered. Thus, for
the even *n*-numbered alkanes with *n*< 26 or 28 [10-12],
the structure is triclinic (P1). For the molecules whose
*n* is even and superior to 27, the structure is monoclinic
(P2₁/a), while the odd *n*-alkanes crystallize in the
orthorhombic system (Pbcm, Z=4) [11-13].

Moreover, these *n*-alkanes presents several structural
modifications according to the temperature imposed.
Thus, the phase appearance sequence versus tem-
perature of the even *n*-numbered alkanes is simple.
In fact, the stable phases of *nC*₂₂ or *nC*₂₄ noted γ₀
(*nC*₂₂) and γ₀ (*nC*₂₄) evolves into a single rotator phase
noted α-*RII* (*R*3*m*) [14] before melting. Obviously, the
transition temperature increases with the molecular
weight of the alkane [15] and [16]. The thermal
behaviour of even *n*-alkanes can be summarised by the
following graph:

<figure><img src="image_2.png" /></figure>

Temperatures indicated in this graph correspond to
the transition of pure *n*-docosane, they are in agreement
with those reported in the literature [17].

As concern the odd *n*-alkanes (n > 21), the thermal
behaviour is more complex [8, 9, 17, 18] because it
appears:

- two phases called “phases of low temperature” which are of orthorhombic structures denoted β₀ and β'₀, respectively;

- two “phases of high temperature”, the first, noted β-RI corresponds to the rotator state of the phase β (Fmmm) and the second denoted α-RII which is rhomboedral (R3m) occurs just before the melting point.

So, according to what it was said before, we have in
the case of *n*-tricosane:

<figure><img src="image_3.png" /></figure>

Temperatures reported correspond to the transition
of pure *n*-tricosane [8] and [17]. All these transitions
are of first order except the one corresponding to
the evolution of the phase *β* into the rotator state *RI*.
The progressive evolution of the ratio of the
crystallographic parameters *b/a* until the value √3,
characteristic of the *RII* phase and also the unusual
consumption of enthalpy observed on the DSC curves
confirms this remark.

Instead of what it is reported in the literature [19-21],
mixture of alkanes does not form a continuous solid
solution. In fact, one observes several intermediate solid
solutions noted β'ₙ, β''ₙ. This phases are orthorhombic
and the *n* index identifies isostructural phases of
different stoichiometries in a same binary system. The
appearance sequence of the other phases with
temperature is similar to this observed in the case of odd
*n*-alkanes [17]. Thus it can be presented by the scheme:

<figure><img src="image_4.png" /></figure>

**2.2 Thermal behaviour of pure
components and mixtures**

The changes of crystallographic structures according
to temperature take shape on the DSC curves by
several peaks.

In the case of even *n*-numbered alkanes, one notes
the existence on the curves of two peaks characteristic
in one hand of the transition: phase “low temperature”
(γ₀(C*n*)) - Rotator phase (α-*RII*) and in the other hand of
the melting (Fig. 1a).
For the *n*-tricosane, three peaks can be distinguished (Fig. 1b):

- the first at low temperature corresponds to the transition: $\beta_0$ into $\beta'_0$;

- the second to the transformation of $\beta'_0$ into $\beta$-$RI$;

- the third is attributed to the transition $\beta$-$RI$ into rotator phase $\alpha$-$RII$;

- and finally, the one occurring at highest temperature represents the melting of the sample.

As concerns the mixtures, the DSC curves present three peaks: the first at lowest temperature is attributed to the transition: intermediate solid solution $\beta'_n$ or $\beta''_n$ into $\beta$-$RI$, the second to this of $\beta$-$RI$ into $\alpha$-$RII$, and the last represents the melting of the mixture (Fig. 1c).

## 2.3 Establishment of the binary and ternary phase diagrams

Establishment of the three binary diagrams was realised by means of X-ray and calorimetric analyses of forty samples in average. Examination of X-ray patterns (at room temperature) of binary mixtures ($C_{22}: C_{23}; C_{23}: C_{24}: C_{22}: C_{24}$) allowed to precise the equilibrium limits of the terminal solid solutions and intermediate phases and so to determine the appearance sequence of these latter versus composition [4, 5, 17, 22, 23]. It is in agreement with the general rule proposed by Dirand *et al.* [24]. The thermal behaviour and determination of the temperature transitions of the different phases were realised by the analysis of the DSC curves while X-ray diffraction was used to identify the structure of the phases previously observed. The results of these two techniques allowed us to propose the binary diagrams (Fig. 2).

As concerns the ternary mixtures, the diagram at room temperature has been established on the basis of:

- the results of examination by X-ray diffraction of forty one ternary samples whose concentration are situated in all the area of the diagram;

- the appearance sequence of the phases as function of composition which was previously determined in the three binary systems.

These results and the respect of the Palatnik and Landau's rule [25] on the adjacent phase domains lead to propose the ternary phase diagram presented on the Figure 2. One notes that the intermediate solid solution called in the binary systems $\beta'_1$ or $\beta'_2$ are isostructural and so indistinguishable.

<figure><img src="image_5.png" /></figure>

<figure><img src="image_6.png" /></figure>

<figure><img src="image_7.png" /><figcaption>Figure 1
DSC curves of *n*-tetracosane (a), *n*-tricosane (b), the intermediate solid solution (c).</figcaption></figure>
<figure><img src="image_8.png" /><figcaption>Figure 2</figcaption></figure>

Binary and ternary phase diagrams (at room temperature) of the system: *n*-docosane *n*-tricosane *n*-tetracosane. The dotted lines indicate the onset temperature of the rotator state *RI* of the *β* phase.
CONCLUSION

The ternary diagram of consecutive *n*-docosane *n*-tricosane and *n*-tetracosane was determined at room temperature. It shows the existence of limited terminal solid solutions near pure components and three domains of intermediate phases. Two of them (β'₁, β'₂) which are isostructural, are situated on both sides of the third noted β''₁. Moreover this study confirms that the intermediate solid solutions observed in the binary system exist also in the ternary mixtures of consecutive *n*-alkanes.

At the present time, this study goes on in the laboratory in order to determine the ternary diagram in temperature. One can think that the thermal behaviour of the orthorhombic intermediate phases is similar to this observed in the binary system.

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Final manuscript received in December 1997