The influence of solution viscosity on the dissolution rate of soluble salts, and the measurement of an “effective” viscosity

Abstract

The rate of solution of KCl and NaCl from compressed discs has been determined under controlled conditions, in water at 25° and in solutions of varying concentrations of polyvinylpyrrolidone (molecular weight 360 000), polyoxyethylene glycol 6000 and cetomacrogol 1000. Dissolution rate constants decrease with increasing bulk solution viscosity, as expected, but no one equation relating rate constant and bulk viscosity fits the results for the systems studied. Calculation of an effective viscosity from the diffusion coefficients of the salts in water and the diffusion coefficients of the salt in the polymer solutions enables an empirical correlation of the results to be made. The relation of the effective viscosity to the microscopic viscosity is discussed in an Appendix.