The Laboratory of Thermodynamics and Physicochemistry of Fluids (LTPF) of the University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria originated in the heart of an old, rented house, located in Calle Obispo Rabadán, number 33 of the city of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria. At that time, the people who composed the laboratory were lecturers belonging to the University of La Laguna (Tenerife), assigned to the Superior School of Industrial Engineers of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria.

In the aforementioned premises, during almost 25 years, research was carried out related to fluids in the liquid state, mainly organic substances of different nature. The work was aimed principally towards two fundamental aspects: theory and experiment. Partly due the limited conditions of a house in a central street of Las Palmas, the experimental part was executed mainly, but not exclusively, towards the determination of thermophysical properties of pure substances and mixtures, assessing only the variation with pressure and temperature. The need for this data of the chemical industry was and remains evident.

Also a multitude of work was done on mixtures of strategically chosen liquids, with the aim to clarify not only the behaviour of the constituents, but also that of the corresponding mixtures. This was the case for compounds such as methanol, ethers, esters, alkanes and others, like constituents of combustible systems such as petroleum derivatives.

The theoretical part was directed especially at mathematical modelling of the aforementioned properties, correlation, and prediction, with the objective to know the accuracy of some of the existing models for the estimation of properties and to provoke modifications if necessary.

From its start till October 1999, the LTPF converted itself into a group of reference with an considerable scientific production (over a dozen doctoral theses, more than 100 articles in international journals), receiving continuous visits of foreign investigators, and developing other relevant activities related to the area of investigation. In October 1999, however, the downtown laboratory had to be evacuated, being no longer suitable.

After an intermediate period between 1999 and 2004, in which the laboratory occupied an inadequate provisional location, with a reduced output due to the lack of equipment space, the laboratory was moved to its newly-built, dedicated premises (see photo), located at the Science & Technology Park on the Tafira Campus of the University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria. The new building is basically divided in two equal parts, one housing the offices for the investigating personnel & staff, and the other one corresponding to laboratory space and workshops. The laboratory (LTPF) is a two-story building, with each floor having an area of about 150 square meters.