Thermophysical properties of gaseous HBr and BCl3 from speed-of-sound measurements

The speed of sound in gaseous hydrogen bromide (HBr) and boron trichloride (BCl3) was measured using a highly precise acoustic resonance technique. The HBr speed-of-sound measurements span the temperature range 230 to 440 K and the pressure range from 0.05 to 1.5 MPa. The BCl3 speed-of-sound measurements span the temperature range 290 to 460 K and the pressure range from 0.05 MPa to 0.40 MPa. The pressure range in each fluid was limited to 80% of the sample vapor pressure at each temperature. The speed-of-sound data have a relative standard uncertainty of 0.01%. The data were analyzed to obtain the ideal-gas heat capacities as a function of temperature with a relative standard uncertainty of 0.1%. The heat capacities agree with those calculated from spectroscopic data within their combined uncertainties. The speeds of sound were fitted with the virial equation of state to obtain the temperature-dependent density virial coefficients. Two virial coefficient models were employed, one based on the hard-core square-well intermolecular potential model and the second based on the hard-core Lennard-Jones intermolecular potential model. The resulting virial equations of state reproduced the speed-of-sound measurements to 0.01% and can be expected to calculate vapor densities with a relative standard uncertainty of 0.1%. Transport properties calculated from the hard-core Lennard-Jones potential model should have a relative standard uncertainty of 10% or less.