Spray and packed liquid–liquid extraction columns: drop size and dispersed phase mass transfer

Abstract

ABSTRACTThe effects of holdup on Sauter mean drop diameter, D32, and dispersed phase mass transfer coefficient have been studied in the spray and packed extraction columns. For both columns, two well‐defined regions for the dependence of D32 on holdup were observed. D32 increased and decreased with an increase in holdup at low and high levels of holdup, respectively. Changes in dispersed phase mass transfer coefficient against holdup were shown to be similar to D32 for both columns. Moreover, empirical correlations have been derived to predict D32 and dispersed phase mass transfer coefficient for both columns. It has been shown that the derived correlations are in a good agreement with the experimental data. © 2013 Curtin University of Technology and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.