Calculating Thermodynamic Factors for Diffusion Using the Continuous Fractional Component Monte Carlo Method

Abstract

Thermodynamic factors for diffusion connect the Fick and Maxwell-Stefan diffusion coefficients used to quantify mass transfer. Activity coefficient models or equations of state can be fitted to experimental or simulation data, from which thermodynamic factors can be obtained by differentiation. The accuracy of thermodynamic factors determined using indirect routes is dictated by the specific choice of an activity coefficient model or an equation of state. The Permuted Widom’s Test Particle Insertion (PWTPI) method developed by Balaji et al. enables direct determination of thermodynamic factors in binary and multicomponent systems. For highly dense systems, for example, typical liquids, it is well known that molecular test insertion methods fail. In this article, we use the Continuous Fractional Component Monte Carlo (CFCMC) method to directly calculate thermodynamic factors by adopting the PWTPI method. The CFCMC method uses fractional molecules whose interactions with their surrounding molecules are modulated by a coupling parameter. Even in highly dense systems, the CFCMC method efficiently handles molecule insertions and removals, overcoming the limitations of the PWTPI method. We show excellent agreement between the results of the PWTPI and CFCMC methods for the calculation of thermodynamic factors in binary systems of Lennard-Jones molecules and ternary systems of Weeks-Chandler-Andersen molecules. The CFCMC method applied to calculate the thermodynamic factors of realistic molecular systems consisting of binary mixtures of carbon dioxide and hydrogen agrees well with the NIST REFPROP database. Our study highlights the effectiveness of the CFCMC method in determining thermodynamic factors for diffusion, even in densely packed systems, using relatively small numbers of molecules.