Micromixing efficiency in a rotating packed bed with non-Newtonian fluid

Abstract

Micromixing performance of reactors has great influence on fast reactions such as polymerization, pharmaceutical and crystallization applications. In this work, based on Villermaux–Dushman iodide–iodate reaction system, an experimental investigation of micromixing with non-Newtonian fluid (CMC solution) in a rotation packed bed (RPB) was carried out. And a two-dimensional RPB Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) model coupled with shear-thinning rheological property was developed. Both experimental and numerical results indicated that increasing rotational speed could dramatically improve the micromixing performance due to the shear-thinning behavior in the RPB. Especially, the CMC concentration was an important factor that should be carefully considered, which showed quite different impacts on micromixing efficiency with liquid flow rate. In addition, based on incorporation model and experimental results, the micromixing time of the RPB with non-Newtonian fluid was determined as 4.1 × 10−4 s–1.9 × 10−3 s. This fundamental research had guiding significance for practical operations of RPBs when processing non-Newtonian fluids.