Mass transfer in liquid-liquid (horizontal) pipeline contactors

Abstract

The mass transfer characteristics of liquid-liquid (horizontal) pipeline contactors were studied for the bubble and plug flow regimes. The contactors were operated co-currently. The theory of mass transfer with chemical reaction was used to obtain values of physical mass transfer coefficient (k_La) and effective interfacial area (a) for a number of systems. In all the experiments the resistance to mass transfer was confined to the continuous phase. The effect of the flow rates and viscosities of the two phases, interfacial tension, contactor length, pipe diameter, the presence of solids, etc. on both, k_La and a was studied. The values of k_La and a were found to vary from 1 to 50 × 10^-3 sec^-1, and 0.4 to 25 cm^-1, respectively.