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7.7: Solubility

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The maximum solubility of a solute can be determined using the same methods we have used to describe colligative properties. The chemical potential of the solute in a liquid solution can be expressed

μB(solution)=μoB(liquid)+RTlnχB

If this chemical potential is lower than that of a pure solid solute, the solute will dissolve into the liquid solvent (in order to achieve a lower chemical potential!) So the point of saturation is reached when the chemical potential of the solute in the solution is equal to that of the pure solid solute.

μoB(solid)=μoB(liquid)+RTlnχB

Since the mole fraction at saturation is of interest, we can solve for ln(χB).

lnχB=μoB(solid)=μoB(liquid)RT

The difference in the chemical potentials is the molar Gibbs function for the phase change of fusion. So this can be rewritten

lnχB=ΔGofusRT

It would be convenient if the solubility could be expressed in terms of the enthalpy of fusion for the solute rather than the Gibbs function change. Fortunately, the Gibbs-Helmholtz equation gives us a means of making this change. Noting that

((ΔGT)T)p=ΔHT2

Differentiation of the above expression for ln(χB) with respect to T at constant p yields

(lnχBT)p=1RΔHfusT2

Separating the variables puts this into an integrable form that can be used to see how solubility will vary with temperature:

lnχB0dlnχB=1RTTfΔHfusdTT2

So if the enthalpy of fusion is constant over the temperature range of Tf to the temperature of interest,

lnχB=ΔHfusR(1Tf1T)

And χB will give the mole fraction of the solute in a saturated solution at the temperature T. The value depends on both the enthalpy of fusion, and the normal melting point of the solute.


This page titled 7.7: Solubility is shared under a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by Patrick Fleming.

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