Textbook Statements

Abstract

Most, if not all, chemists, chemical engineers, biochemical technologists, and others using chemical concepts have been brought up in the conventional belief in the inherent usefulness of the ideal model. The concepts of the ideal solution, Raoult’s law, and Henry’s law have dominated the treatment of the solubility of gases and liquids in liquids. In my opinion, this has greatly hindered the approach to an understanding of the mechanisms of the dissolution processes in real systems, for such treatment has fostered the search for systems which conform, or nearly conform, to these idealistic notions. This has tended to exclude many real systems even from the barest consideration. An outstanding defect in the textbook treatment is the lack of data on real systems. There are instances of examples being given to show that Henry’s law in the mole fraction form is “obeyed,” whereas the real data were of the mole ratio form. This area of treatment is in urgent need of revision to bring it in line with reality.