Corresponding-States Modeling of the Speed of Sound of Long-Chain Hydrocarbons1

Models based on the corresponding-states principle have been extensively used for several equilibrium and transport properties of different pure and mixed fluids. Some limitations, however, have been encountered with regard to its application to long chain or polar molecules. Following previous studies, where it was shown that the corresponding-states principle could be used to predict thermophysical properties such as vapor–liquid interfacial tension, vapor pressure, liquid density, viscosity, and thermal conductivity of longchain alkanes, the application of the corresponding-states principle to the estimation of speeds of sound, with a special emphasis on the less studied heavier n-alkane members, is presented. Results are compared with more than four thousand experimental data points as a function of temperature and pressure for n-alkanes ranging from ethane up to n-hexatriacontane. Average deviations are less than 2%, demonstrating the reliability of the proposed model for the estimation of speeds of sound.