Canadian Journal of Chemical Engineering, Vol.82, No.1, 162-174, 2004
Phase transformation and rheological behaviour of highly paraffinic "waxy" mixtures
An experimental investigation was undertaken for the theology and phase transformation of prepared solutions comprising a paraffin wax dissolved in n-dodecane or n-hexadecane. The liquid-solid phase transformation in wax-solvent mixtures was investigated through the measurement of wax appearance/disappearance temperature (using cross polar microscopy, differential scanning calorimetry, viscometry and a visual method), pour point temperature and crystallization temperature. The results were utilized to prepare a temperature-composition phase diagram for the wax+n-C16H34 pseudo-binary system. The effects of composition, temperature, cooling rate and shear rate were studied on the theology of wax-solvent mixtures. A correlation was developed for the apparent viscosity of wax-solvent mixtures.