1 The Viscosity of Seven Gases Measured with a Greenspan Viscometer J. J. Hurly1,2, K. A. Gillis1, J. B. Mehl3, and M. R. Moldover1 1Process Measurements Division, Chemical Science Technology Laboratory National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, Maryland 20899-8360 2To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail:
[email protected] 3Current address: PO Box 307; Orcas, WA 98280-0307. 2 ABSTRACT The viscosity of seven gases (Ar, CH4, C3H8, N2, SF6, CF4, C2F6) was determined by interpreting frequency-response data from a Greenspan acoustic viscometer with a detailed model developed by Gillis, Mehl, and Moldover. The model contains a parameter εr that characterizes the viscous dissipation at the ends of the viscometer’s duct. It was difficult to determine εr accurately from dimensional measurements; therefore, εr was adjusted to fit the viscosity of helium on the 298 K isotherm (0.6 MPa < p < 3.4 MPa). This calibration was tested by additional viscosity measurements using four, well-studied, polyatomic gases (CH4, C2H6, N2, and SF6) near 300 K and by measurements using argon in the range 293 K < T < 373 K. For these gases, all of the present results agree with reference values to within ±0.5 % (±0.4 % in the limit of zero density). The viscosities of CF4 and C2F6 were measured between 210 K and 375 K and up to 3.3 MPa with average uncertainties of 0.42 % and 0.55 %, respectively. At the highest density studied for 3 CF4 (2746 mol m ), the uncertainty increased to 1.9 %; of this 1.9 %, 0.63 % resulted from the uncertainty of the thermal conductivity of CF4, which other researchers estimated to be 2 % of its value at zero density.