This table gives values of the diffusion coefficient, D, for diffusion of several common gases in water at various temperatures. For simple one-dimensional transport, the diffusion coefficient describes the time–rate of change of concentration, dc/dt, through the equation
dc/dt = Dd2c/dx2
where x is, for example, the perpendicular distance from a gas–liquid interface. The values below have been selected from the references indicated; in some cases, data have been refitted to permit interpolation in temperature. Column definitions for the table are as follows.
Column heading | Definition |
Name | Name of gas; gases are listed in alphabetical order by name |
Mol. form. | Molecular formula of gas |
D(10 °C), D(15 °C), etc. | Diffusion coefficient, in units 10-5 cm2 s-1, at temperature (in °C) indicated within parentheses |
Ref. | Reference |
Gas–liquid diffusion coefficients are difficult to measure, and large differences are found between values obtained by different authors and through different experimental methods. See Refs. 1 and 2 for a discussion of measurement techniques.
Name | Synonym | Mol. form. | CAS Reg. No. | Mol. wt. | D(10 °C)/10-5 cm2 s-1 | D(15 °C)/10-5 cm2 s-1 | D(20 °C)/10-5 cm2 s-1 | D(25 °C)/10-5 cm2 s-1 | D(30 °C)/10-5 cm2 s-1 | D>(35 °C)/10-5 cm2 s-1 | Ref. |
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Acetylene | Ethyne | HC≡CH | 74-86-2 | 26.037 | 1.43 | 1.59 | 1.78 | 1.99 | 2.23 | 2 | |
Ammonia | R-717 | NH3 | 7664-41-7 | 17.031 | 1.3 | 1.5 | 2 | ||||
Argon | Ar | 7440-37-1 | 39.948 | 2.5 | 4 | ||||||
Bromomethane | Methyl bromide | CH3Br | 74-83-9 | 94.939 | 1.35 | 5 | |||||
Carbon dioxide | Carbonic anhydride | CO2 | 124-38-9 | 44.010 | 1.26 | 1.45 | 1.67 | 1.91 | 2.17 | 2.47 | 1 |
Chlorine | Cl2 | 7782-50-5 | 70.90 | 1.13 | 1.5 | 1.89 | 2,6 | ||||
Chloromethane | Methyl chloride | CH3Cl | 74-87-3 | 50.488 | 1.40 | 5 | |||||
Dichlorofluoromethane | HCFC-21 | CHCl2F | 75-43-4 | 102.923 | 1.80 | 5 | |||||
Helium | He | 7440-59-7 | 4.003 | 5.67 | 6.18 | 6.71 | 7.28 | 7.87 | 8.48 | 1 | |
Hydrogen | H2 | 1333-74-0 | 2.016 | 3.62 | 4.08 | 4.58 | 5.11 | 5.69 | 6.31 | 1 | |
Hydrogen bromide | Hydrobromic acid | HBr | 10035-10-6 | 80.912 | 3.15 | 6 | |||||
Hydrogen chloride | Hydrochloric acid | HCl | 7647-01-0 | 36.461 | 3.07 | 6 | |||||
Hydrogen sulfide | H2S | 7783-06-4 | 34.081 | 1.36 | 2,6 | ||||||
Krypton | Kr | 7439-90-9 | 83.798 | 1.20 | 1.39 | 1.60 | 1.84 | 2.11 | 2.40 | 1 | |
Methane | CH4 | 74-82-8 | 16.043 | 1.24 | 1.43 | 1.62 | 1.84 | 2.08 | 2.35 | 1 | |
Neon | Ne | 7440-01-9 | 20.180 | 2.93 | 3.27 | 3.64 | 4.03 | 4.45 | 4.89 | 1 | |
Nitrogen | N2 | 7727-37-9 | 28.014 | 2.0 | 2 | ||||||
Nitrogen dioxide | NO2 | 10102-44-0 | 46.006 | 1.23 | 1.4 | 1.59 | 2,6 | ||||
Nitrous oxide | N2O | 10024-97-2 | 44.012 | 1.62 | 2.11 | 2.57 | 2,6 |