THE LOW-FREQUENCY DIELECTRIC PROPERTIES OF ETHYLENE OXIDE AND ETHYLENE OXIDE HYDRATE

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Abstract
The static dielectric constant of liquid ethylene oxide has been measured between 158 and 286 °K. The hydrate of ethylene oxide exhibits a dispersion–absorption region characterized by static dielectric constants about one-third as large as those of ice and by relatively large "high-frequency" dielectric constants (ε1 = 7.5 at 0 °C). This region may be approximately described as a circular arc locus, but may be represented somewhat better by a superposition of two (or three) semicircular dispersions. In either case, the activation energy for the relaxation of water molecules, to which this region is ascribed, is ca. 6.7 kcal/mole, except at low temperatures, where it becomes smaller. Experimental values of ε1 agree roughly with those calculated for comparatively rapid orientation of ethylene oxide molecules in the cavities of the hydrate. Such orientation may account for absorption maxima observed at 11 Mc/sec and above 100 Mc/sec at 90 °K.

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