Effect of Flow on the Dielectric Constant of Liquids

Abstract

WE have observed that certain liquids, for example, xylene (a mixture of ortho-, para- and meta-), ethyl ether, ethyl alcohol and benzene show very small yet distinct decreases in the values of their dielectric constants when they are flowing through condenser plates of small separations. With a given separation the amount of change is found to increase with the rate of flow of the liquid. A typical graph showing the variations in the dielectric constant of a freshly distilled sample of xylene (a mixture of ortho-, para- and meta-) with flow under the pressure of different heights of the liquid is given in the accompanying graph. The temperature of the xylene remained practically constant at 24.0° C. throughout the experiment.