THE VARIATION OF SPECIFIC CONDUCTIVITY WITH TEMPERATURE

A Study of the variation of specific conductivity, µ with temperature, t in concentrated aqueous solutions. both above and below the saturation temperature, shows that while µ-t curves for viscous solutions have a positive curvature and obey the Kohlrausch equation viz., µ_t=µ_o(1+ at-Bt²). those for solutions of low viscosity are almost straight lines and obey the equation of Walden viz.

µ_t=µ_o(1+ at).

The behaviour of the latter is in contradiction with Heim'e observations on a number of super­saturated aqueous solutions and as the study in this paper is confined to such solutions, an explanation, depending upon the ionic hydration hypothesis and the concept of depolymerisation of water molecular complexes, is suggested to account for this anomaly.