This page has been archived on the Web

Information identified as archived is provided for reference, research or recordkeeping purposes. It is not subject to the Government of Canada Web Standards and has not been altered or updated since it was archived. Please contact us to request a format other than those available.

Skip booklet index and go to page content

Draft Ecological Screening Assessment Report Long-Chain (C9–C20) Perfluorocarboxylic Acids, their Salts and their Precursors

Physical and Chemical Properties

Information relating to the physical properties of long-chain (C9-C20) PFCAs is limited. Table 2 shows the available physical and chemical data, where available, for C9-C15 long-chain PFCAs. It has been suggested that the carbon-carbon conformation changes as the chain length increases, with longer chains becoming helical (Wang and Ober 1999), resulting in smaller cross-sectional diameter molecules where the chain may fold back on itself or not be completely linear. If so, then this would cause a change in the physical and chemical properties of the longer chain acids relative to the linear PFCAs (i.e., < C8).

Table 2. Available Physical/chemical Properties of C9-C15 PFCAs

PropertyValueTypeReference
C9 PFCA
Molecular mass (g/mol)464.08-
Melting point (°C)77ExperimentalFontell and Lindman 1983
71Blancou et al. 1976
71-72Herbst et al. 1985
65 (CCl4)Beneficemalouet et al. 1991
59.3-61.1Kunieda and Shinoda 1976
69-71Ishikawaet al. 1983
Boiling point (°C)203.4CalculatedKaiser et al. 2005
Vapour pressure (Pa)at 25°C1.3 – 99.97 kPa (99.6 - 203°C)CalculatedKaiser et al. 2005
0.10ExperimentalArp et al. 2006
Water solubility<0.2 percent weight at 60°CExperimentalFontell and Lindman 19831
1.3 g/L (critical micelle concentration)ExperimentalKunieda and Shinoda 19761
pKa (dimensionless)<0.8CalculatedGoss 2008
log Koc (dimensionless)2.3 – 2.48ExperimentalHiggins and Luthy 2006
C10 PFCA
Molecular mass (g/mol)514.08-
Melting point (°C)87.4-88.2 (CCl4)ExperimentalBernett and Zisman 1959
87.4-88.2 (toluene) ExperimentalBernett and Zisman 1959
83.5-85.5(CCl4, ethanol)Mukerjee and Handa 1981
76.5(CCl4)Ikawa et al. 1988
87.4-88.2Hare et al. 1954
Boiling point (°C)218Kauck and Diesslin 1951
219.4CalculatedKaiser et al.2005
203.4CalculatedKaiser et al. 2005
218ExperimentalSigma Aldrich 2004
Vapour pressure (Pa) at 25°C3.1 to 99.97 kPa (129.6 to 218.9°C)CalculatedKaiser et al.2005
-0.64ExperimentalArp et al. 2006
0.10ExperimentalArp et al. 2006
Water solubility (g/L)5.14ExperimentalKauck and Diesslin 1951
0.40 (critical micelle concentration)Bernett and Zisman 19591
0.46 (critical micelle concentration at 30°C)Klevens and Raison 19541
pKa (dimensionless)2.57512CalculatedMoroi et al.2001
log Koc (dimesionless)2.65 – 2.87ExperimentalHiggins and Luthy 2006
C11 PFCA
Molecular mass (g/mol)564.1-
Melting point (°C)112-114ExperimentalHuang et al. 1987
97.9-100.3 Kunieda and Shinoda 1976
Boiling point (°C)238.4 at 101.325 kPaCalculatedKaiser et al. 2005
Vapour pressure (Pa) at 25°C0.6 to 99.97 kPa (112 to 237.7°C)CalculatedKaiser et al. 2005
-0.98ExperimentalArp et al. 2006
log Koc (dimesionless)3.19 – 3.41ExperimentalHiggins and Luthy 2006
C12 PFCA
Molecular mass (g/mol)614.1-
Melting point (°C)112.6 – 114.7 (CCl4 , toluene)ExperimentalBernett and Zisman 1959
112.6-114.7Hare et al. 1954
112-114Huang et al. 1987
Boiling point (°C)Not available
Vapour pressure (Pa) at 25°C0.9 to 99.96 kPa (127.6 to 247.7°C)CalculatedKaiser et al. 2005
C13 PFCA
Molecular mass (g/mol)664.0989-
Melting point (°C)117.5-122ExperimentalKunieda and Shinoda 1976
C14 PFCA    
Molecular mass (g/mol)714.12-
Melting point (°C)130.4 (hexane)ExperimentalLehmler et al.2001
130Kunieda and Shinoda 1976
C15 PFCA
Molecular mass (g/mol)764.1129 -
1 It should be noted that these solubility values refer to an aqueous phase containing a mixture of protonated acid and perfluorocarboxylate anion, at an “autogenous” pH. If the pH is reduced by addition of, for example, a mineral acid, the proportion of protonated acid will increase and the overall solubility will decrease.
Abbreviations: Koc, sediment organic carbon coefficient; pKa, acid dissociation constant.
Date modified: