Thermodynamic regularities in compressed liquids: II. The reduced bulk modulus

In a previous work, we analysed some regularities found in the behaviour of the thermal expansion coefficient, αp, in compressed liquids. We confirmed that a given liquid presents a characteristic pressure range in which the condition (∂αp/∂T)p=0 is fulfilled within a narrow range of reduced densities. We also found that the density at which the condition (∂αp/∂T)p=0 is satisfied, ρα, decreases with temperature, a key feature not described before. Earlier studies by other authors suggested that similar regularities are expected for the reduced bulk modulus, B. We present here a detailed analysis of the temperature and density dependence of B from existing experimental results at high pressures. Several liquids have been analysed: argon, krypton, xenon, ethylene, tetrafluoromethane, trifluoromethane, carbon dioxide, carbon disulfide, n-butane, n-hexane, toluene, ethanol, 1-hexanol, m-cresol, and quinoline. We locate that the density ρB that fulfils the condition (∂B/∂T)ρ=0 occurs at a particular region of the phase diagram, between 3.4 and 2.4 times the critical density of each liquid. Interestingly, the previously found density ρα is close to ρB, in a similar region of the reduced phase diagram. However, we note that ρB typically decreases to a lesser extent with temperature than ρα. In addition, we have found that ρB(T) behaves in a parallel fashion for the different liquids, showing larger values of ρB as the complexity of the molecules increases. These findings provide a strong basis for developing general equation of state models to describe the behaviour of liquids in the high-pressure regime