Osmotic and activity coefficients of sodium chloride-sorbitol and potassium chloride-sorbitol solutions at 25°C

Osmotic and activity coefficients are reported for sorbitol over the range 1.8–11.1m with NaCl as the reference and 1.8–7.6m with KCl as the reference electrolyte. The osmotic coefficients over the range 0–3.7m are identical with those reported earlier by Robinson. It was found that the activity coefficients of sorbitol are uniformly about four percent lower than those of dextrose. Activity coefficients of trace quantities of NaCl in concentrated sorbitol solutions are about one-half of their value in pure NaCl solutions while the activity coefficients of trace quantities of sorbitol in concentrated NaCl solutions are about one-third of their value in pure sorbitol solutions. Potassium chloride lowers the activity coefficient of sorbitol less than does sodium chloride in solutions of similar water activity. Sorbitol lowers the activity coefficients of potassium chloride in concentrated solution but actually elevates them in dilute solutions.