Octadecane with Water (IUPAC SDS Volume 38)
Evaluator
Glenn T. Hefter School of Mathematical and Physical Sciences, Murdoch University
Evaluation
Quantitative solubility data for octadecane (1) in water (2) have been reported in the publications listed in Table 1. No data have been reported on the solubility of water in octadecane.

The original data in all of these publications are compiled in the Data Sheets immediately following this Critical Evaluation.

With the exception of the graphical (ref 1) and v/v data (ref 3) reported by Baker which have been excluded from consideration, all the available data (ref 2,4) are summarized in Table 2 below. The reported values are in poor agreement and both are several orders of magnitude higher than would be predicted by an extrapolation of the lower n-alkane solubilities, viz. ~ 10-10 g(1)/100 g s1n, although the validity of this extrapolation is unknown. Nevertheless it must be recognized that the reported values may be substantially in error and no 'best' value has been suggested.

Sources:

1 Baker, E. G.; Am. Chem. Soc.; Div. Petrol. Chem.; Preprints-Symposia 1956, 1, No. 2, 5-17.
2 Baker, E. G.; Am. Chem. Soc.; Div. Petrol. Chem.; Preprints-Symposia 1958, 3, No. 4, C61-8.
3 Baker, E. G.; Science 1959, 129, 871-4.
4 Sutton, C.; Calder, J. A.; Environ. Sci. Technol. 1974, 8, 654-7.