We utilize a new experimental technique, humidity-controlled thermogravimetric analysis (HTGA), to determine temperature-dependent deliquescence relative humidities (DRH) and to determine the equilibrium concentration of a solution at a given temperature and relative humidity. To that end, we have investigated the malonic acid/water system determining the DRH and concentration/RH relationship in the temperature range 303-278 K. Excellent agreement is found with literature values for the DRH of malonic acid as a function of temperature and for the concentration/RH relationship at several temperatures. Thus, we extend the DRH and concentration/RH relationship to a broader temperature range and are using the HTGA experiments to investigate other organic acids.
The solubility of sodium hydrogen malonate and sodium malonate in water both with and without ammonium sulfate present has been studied using differential scanning calorimetry and infrared spectroscopy. The crystals that form from sodium hydrogen malonate/water solutions were determined to be sodium hydrogen malonate monohydrate by single-crystal X-ray diffractometry. The crystals formed in sodium malonate/water solutions were determined to be sodium malonate monohydrate, a compound whose structure had not been previously known. When ammonium sulfate is added to these respective aqueous systems, the precipitation solids contain sodium sulfate decahydrate under low to moderate ammonium concentrations and lecontite (NaNH4SO4·2H2O) under high ammonium concentrations, which can be found under dry atmospheric conditions. Thus, it appears the presence of malonate and hydrogen malonate ions does not significantly affect the precipitation of inorganic salts in these systems. The glass transition temperatures of all solutions were also determined, and it was observed that the addition of ammonium sulfate slightly lowers the glass transition temperature in these solutions.
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