Experiment No:1

Determination of Critical Solution Temperature of Phenol-Water System

Principle: The temperature at which two partially miscible liquids become completely miscible
is called the critical solution temperature. Mixtures of phenol and water of varying compositions
are taken and their miscibility temperature are determined. The miscibility temperature are
plotted against their compositions. The maximum temperature point on the curve obtained is the
critical solution temperature of the system.
Procedure: 5 ml phenol and 2 ml water are taken in a boiling tube; fitted with a two holed cork
carrying a stirrer and a sensitive thermometer. It is mounted in a beaker containing water, and
heated slowly with constant stirring. The temperature at which the turbidity just disappears is
noted. The mixture is then allowed to cool by constant stirring. The temperature at which the
turbidity reappears is also noted. The average of the two readings is taken as the miscibility
temperature. The experiment is repeated by adding 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14 ml of water to the same
mixture, from the burette, and the miscibility temperature are found out.
The results are tabulated and a graph is drawn by taking the percentage compositions of phenol
against miscibility temperature. The maximum temperature on the curve is taken as the critical
solution temperature.
Observations

Volume Volume of % Miscibility

of phenol water volume Temperature at which Temperature at which Temperature
(mL) (mL) of turbidity disappears turbidity reappears (⁰C)
phenol (⁰C) (⁰C)
5 2
5 4
5 6
5 8
5 10
5 12
5 14
5 16

Result
Critical solution temperature of the phenol-water system = ⁰C