Hydrodynamic and mass transfer characteristics of asymmetric rotating disc extractors

Abstract

Asymmetric rotating disc contactor (ARDC) offers potential advantages in having comparable mass transfer coefficient ( k C a _ ) and lower back mixing over the conventional rotating disc contactor (RDC). In the present work, measurements of dispersed phase hold-up (∈ D ), effective interfacial area ( a _ ), continuous phase mass transfer coefficient ( k C a _ ) and axial dispersion coefficient for the dispersed as well as continuous phase have been performed in 80 mm and 150 mm i.d. ARDC over a wide range of operating variables and physical properties. From these measurements, the values of slip velocity and sauter mean drop diameter ( d 3,2) have been estimated. Suitable correlations have been proposed for ∈ D , V S , k C a _ , a _ , k C , d 3,2, Pe C and Pe D . The results on true mass transfer coefficient ( k C ) have been compared with those published in the literature.