An electrolyte local composition model is developed for excess Gibbs energy, which is assumed to be the sum of two contributions, one resulting from long range electrostatic forces between ions and the other from short range forces between all the species. The validity of the model is demonstrated for systems emcompassing the entire range from molecular liquid to fused salt. and Cruz and Renon (1978). Of these, the Pitzer equation is especially useful. It has been applied successfully to represent data within experimental error from dilute solutions up to an ionic strength of six molal for both aqueous single strong electrolyte systems (Pitzer and Mayorga, 1973) and aqueous mixed strong electrolyte systems (Pitzer and Kim, 1974). Modified forms of the Pitzer equation have been used by Beutier and Renon (1978) and Edwards et al. (1978) as models for the ionic activity coefficients of aqueous weak electrolyte systems. The Pitzer equation was later extended (Chen et al., 1979) in a thermodynamically consistent manner to allow for molecular as well as ionic solutes in the aqueous systems.
CHAU-CHYUN CHENPitzer's excess Gibbs energy equation is a virial expansion equation and is subject to all of the limitations of a virial model. The model parameters are arbitrary, temperaturedependent, and characteristic of the solvent. Binary parameters are empirical functions of ionic strength and ternary parameters are necessary at high ionic strength. The Pitzer equation can not be used for mixed solvent systems because its parameters are unknown functions of solvent composition. Therefore, although the Pitzer equation has been shown to be a convenient and accurate representation of aqueous electrolyte systems, a more versatile model is needed.In this study a new model is developed that does not have the disadvantages of a virial expression and that is applicable to a wide variety of electrolyte systems over the entire range of electrolyte concentrations and system temperatures. The kinds of systems that have been studied using the new model involve mixed electrolytes, mixed solvents, and partially dissociated electrolytes (Chen, 1980; Chen et al., 1980). It is anticipated that the model is also applicable to systems involving salt precipitation, immiscible liquid phases, and fused salt solutions. However, this paper, part one of a series, is limited to single solvent, single completely dissociated electrolyte systems in order to emphasize the model development, the physical interpretation of the model parameters, and the two critical assumptions on which the model is based. In part two of the series (Chen et al., 1982) the model is extended to multicomponent systems, including partially dissociated electrolytes which involve dissociation equilibria.
CONCLUSIONS AND SIGNIFICANCEA new model has been developed for the excess Gibbs energy of electrolyte systems. It is based on the local composition concept and is designed to represent the properties of all kinds of electrolyte systems over the entire range of electrolyte concentra...