Refractive Index of Common Alcohols
The refractive index of alcohols can vary depending on factors such as the specific type of alcohol, its concentration, and temperature. The following table provides a comprehensive list of refractive index values for common alcohols measured at wavelength (λ) of 589 nm.
| Temperature | ||
|---|---|---|
| Methanol (CH4O) | 20 | 1.3288 |
| Ethanol (C2H6O) | 20 | 1.3611 |
| Propanol (C3H8O) | 20 | 1.385 |
| Butanol (C4H10O) | 20 | 1.3993 |
| Pentanol (C5H12O) | 20 | 1.41 |
| Hexanol (C6H14O) | 20 | 1.4178 |
| Heptanol (C7H16O) | 20 | 1.4249 |
| Octanol (C8H18O) | 20 | 1.4295 |
| Nonanol (C9H20O) | 20 | 1.4333 |
| Decanol (C10H22O) | 20 | 1.4372 |
| Undecanol (C11H24O) | 20 | 1.4392 |
| Dodecanol (C12H26O) | 20 | 1.441 |
| Tridecanol (C13H28O) | 25 | 1.4433 |
| Tetradecanol (C14H30O) | 25 | 1.4454 |
| Pentadecanol (C15H32O) | 25 | 1.4289 |
| Hexadecanol (C16H34O) | 79 | 1.4283 |
| Heptadecanol (C17H36O) | 25 | 1.4324 |
| Octadecanol (C18H38O) | 25 | 1.4356 |
| Nonadecanol (C19H40O) | 75 | 1.4328 |
| Eicosanol (C20H42O) | 20 | 1.435 |
| Docosanol (C22H46O) | 75 | 1.4360 |
| Tetracosanol (C24H50O) | 25 | 1.4471 |
| Hexacosanol (C26H54O) | 25 | 1.4515 |
| Octacosanol (C28H58O) | 25 | 1.4559 |
| Triacontanol (C30H62O) | 25 | 1.4604 |
| Hentriacontanol (C31H64O) | 25 | 1.4569 |
| Dotriacontanol (C32H66O) | 25 | 1.4581 |
| Tetratriacontanol (C34H70O) | 25 | 1.4607 |
| Pentatriacontanol (C35H72O) | 25 | 1.4619 |
| Hexatriacontanol (C36H74O) | 25 | 1.4632 |
| Heptatriacontanol (C37H76O) | 25 | 1.4645 |
| Octatriacontanol (C38H78O) | 25 | 1.4657 |
| Tetracontanol (C40H82O) | 25 | 1.4682 |
Related Tables
References: 1) Cardarelli, François. Materials Handbook: A Concise Desktop Reference. Switzerland: Springer International Publishing, 2018. 2) CRC Handbook of Chemistry and Physics, 97th Edition. United Kingdom: CRC Press, 2016-2017. 3) Yaws, Carl L. The Yaws Handbook of Physical Properties for Hydrocarbons and Chemicals. Netherlands: Elsevier Science, 2015. 4) Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA): The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH).