Calculation of the Density and Activity of Water in ATPS Systems for Separation of Biomolecules

In this study, the perturbed hard sphere chain equation of state is utilized to calculate the activity of water in binary and ternary solutions of polyethylene glycol (PEG), salt and water. The liquid density of the binary and ternary solutions is also predicted. To estimate the water activity in PEG–water binary systems, a linear correlation is obtained for the binary interaction parameter between water and PEG. Then, using this correlation and without introducing any additional binary parameters, the water activities are predicted in ternary solutions of water, salt and PEG with different molecular weights (MW). Our results show that the mean absolute average relative deviation (AARD %) of water activity for binary PEG–water solutions in 298 K is 0.73 %. In addition, the water activity in ternary solutions of water and two PEGs with different MW is predicted within 0.31 % AARD %. Furthermore, the AARD % for prediction of water activities in binary PEG–water solutions over the temperature range 308–338 K is 0.41 %. Also, the water activities of aqueous two-phase systems are predicted with AARD % = 0.64 %. In this regard, no adjustable parameters were correlated between salt and PEG. Finally, liquid densities were predicted in binary solutions of water–PEG and ternary solutions of water–PEG–salt.