Viscosity of n-alkyl-3-methyl-imidazolium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)amide ionic liquids saturated with compressed CO2

The viscosity of imidazolium-based ionic liquids (ILs) saturated with gaseous, liquid and supercritical carbon dioxide (CO2) was measured by a high-pressure viscometer at three different temperatures (25, 50, and 70 °C). The high-pressure viscosity of 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium ([EMIm]), 1-n-hexyl-3-methylimidazolium ([HMIm]), and 1-n-decyl-3-methylimidazolium ([DMIm]) cations with a common anion, bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)amide ([Tf2N]), saturated with CO2 was measured up to a maximum of 287 bar. As CO2 pressure is increased the viscosity of the IL mixture dramatically decreases. While, the ambient pressure viscosity of 1-alkyl-3-methyl-imidazolium [Tf2N] ILs increases significantly with increasing chain length, the viscosity of all the CO2-saturated ILs becomes very similar at high CO2 pressures. From previous vapor–liquid equilibrium data, the viscosity with concentration was determined and found to be the primary factor to describe the fractional viscosity reduction. Several predictive and correlative methods were investigated for the mixture viscosity given pure component properties and include arithmetic mixing rules, the Irving (Predictive Arrhenius) model, Grunberg equation, etc. The modified Grunberg model with one adjustable parameter provided an adequate fit to the data.