Perturbed hard-sphere equations of state of real fluids. II. Effective hard-sphere diameters and residual properties

Effective hard-sphere diameters for argon, krypton and xenon have been calculated from the currently most accurate perturbation theories using accurate pair-potential models. Based on the theoretical diameters and on pressure—volumes—temperature data for the real fluids, the van der Waals parameter a_p is examined and two conjectures generalizing the behavior of a_p are formulated. These conjectures make it possible to evaluate the effective hard-sphere diameters of simple liquids at the triple-point temperature from data for a few low-temperature pressure—volume isotherms. This fact, together with a corresponding-states principle that emerges from results for the theoretical diameters, forms the basis of a simple method which we propose for evaluating temperature-dependent effective hard-sphere diameters of a perturbed hard-sphere equation of state, independently of any pair-potential model and any perturbation theory. The applicability of the method is demonstrated for methane and its extension to nonsimple liquids is discussed. It is also shown that the use of an approximate theory and/or approximate pair-potential model may often result in a qualitatively misleading picture of a_p behavior.