This table gives diffusion coefficients D12 for binary gas mixtures as a function of temperature. Specifically, for molecule 1 diffusing in a binary mixture of molecules 1 and 2 in the absence of temperature and pressure gradients, the flux equation is
J1 = -nD12Δx1
where J1 is the flux density of molecule 1, n is the total number density, and Δx1 is the composition gradient in terms of mole fraction x1. A similar equation holds for molecule 2. These equations hold only in the case of zero net flux, J1 + J2 = 0; more complicated equations are required in other cases (Refs. 1 and 2). It can be shown D12 = D21 because there is no net flux and x1 + x2 = 1.
Values refer to atmospheric pressure. The diffusion coefficient is inversely proportional to pressure as long as the gas is in a regime where binary collisions dominate. See Ref. 1 for a discussion of the dependence of D12 on temperature and composition. Column definitions for the table are as follows.
Column heading | Definition |
Mixture | Names of mixture components |
D12(-73 °C), D12(0 °C), etc. | Diffusion coefficient, in units cm2 s-1, at temperature (in °C) indicated within the parentheses |
The top portion of the table contains diffusion coefficients for eight gases in air; the lower portion of the table contains a selection of common binary gas mixtures.
Component 1 | Component 2 | Conditions | D12(-73 °C)/cm2 s-1 | D12(0 °C)/cm2 s-1 | D12(20 °C)/cm2 s-1 | D12(100 °C)/cm2 s-1 | D12(200 °C)/cm2 s-1 | D12(300 °C)/cm2 s-1 | D12(400 °C)/cm2 s-1 |
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Large Excess of Air | |||||||||
Argon | Air | Excess of air | 0.167 | 0.189 | 0.289 | 0.437 | 0.612 | 0.810 | |
Methane | Air | Excess of air | 0.210 | 0.321 | 0.485 | 0.678 | 0.899 | ||
Carbon monoxide | Air | Excess of air | 0.208 | 0.315 | 0.475 | 0.662 | 0.875 | ||
Carbon dioxide | Air | Excess of air | 0.160 | 0.252 | 0.390 | 0.549 | 0.728 | ||
Hydrogen | Air | Excess of air | 0.668 | 0.756 | 1.153 | 1.747 | 2.444 | 3.238 | |
Water | Air | Excess of air | 0.242 | 0.399 | 0.638 | 0.873 | 1.135 | ||
Helium | Air | Excess of air | 0.617 | 0.697 | 1.057 | 1.594 | 2.221 | 2.933 | |
Sulfur hexafluoride | Air | Excess of air | 0.150 | 0.233 | 0.329 | 0.438 | |||
Equimolar Mixture | |||||||||
Argon | Methane | Equimolar | 0.306 | 0.467 | 0.657 | 0.876 | |||
Argon | Carbon monoxide | Equimolar | 0.168 | 0.190 | 0.290 | 0.439 | 0.615 | 0.815 | |
Argon | Carbon dioxide | Equimolar | 0.129 | 0.148 | 0.235 | 0.365 | 0.517 | 0.689 | |
Argon | Hydrogen | Equimolar | 0.698 | 0.794 | 1.228 | 1.876 | 2.634 | 3.496 | |
Argon | Helium | Equimolar | 0.381 | 0.645 | 0.726 | 1.088 | 1.617 | 2.226 | 2.911 |
Argon | Krypton | Equimolar | 0.064 | 0.117 | 0.134 | 0.210 | 0.323 | 0.456 | 0.605 |
Argon | Nitrogen | Equimolar | 0.168 | 0.190 | 0.290 | 0.439 | 0.615 | 0.815 | |
Argon | Neon | Equimolar | 0.160 | 0.277 | 0.313 | 0.475 | 0.710 | 0.979 | 1.283 |
Argon | Oxygen | Equimolar | 0.166 | 0.187 | 0.285 | 0.430 | 0.600 | 0.793 | |
Argon | Sulfur hexafluoride | Equimolar | 0.128 | 0.202 | 0.290 | 0.389 | |||
Argon | Xenon | Equimolar | 0.052 | 0.095 | 0.108 | 0.171 | 0.264 | 0.374 | 0.498 |