Electrical conductivity of the binary mixture isobutyric acid–water with added (Zn2+, SO42−) ions

Precise electrical conductivity σ (mS cm−1) measurements for isobutyric acid–water mixtures with added Zn2+ and SO42− ions have been performed in the Arrhenius temperature domain of the studied electrolyte and for different fractional composition of IBA in the range from 16 mass% to 80 mass%. The temperature dependence of the electrical conductivity of the studied mixtures obeys Arrhenius law over the whole range of investigated parameters. The behaviour of the electrical conductivity of an electrolyte depends on the ZnSO4 salt concentration. A continuous but very drastic decrease of the electrical conductivity is observed for compositions in isobutyric acid exceeding the critical composition. Comparing the electrical conductivity of electrolytic systems (IBA–W) + ZnSO4 and (IBA–W) + KCl at a given salt concentration and IBA composition, one can note that the mobility of (K+, Cl−1) ions is greater than that of (Zn2+, SO42−) over the whole range of investigated parameters.