Gas-liquid mass transfer in "dead-end"autoclave reactors

Abstract

Gas-liquid volumetric mass transfer coefficients, (k_La), have been obtained for "dead-end"autoclave reactors operated in two different modes: (a) gas introduced into the gas phase, and (b) gas introduced through a dip-tube in the liquid. Three different methods of kLa determination have been compared. Effects of agitation speed, impeller diameter, gas to liquid volume ratio (V_g/V_L), position of the impeller and reactor size on k_La have been investigated. The k_La data were found to be correlated as: k_La = 1.48 × 10^-3 (N)^2.18 (V_g/V_L)^1.88 (d_I/d_T)^2.16 (h₁/h₂)^1.16 The critical speed of surface breakage, at which transition from the surface convection to the surface entrainment regime occurs, was also determined for different impeller positions, impeller diameters and gas to liquid volume ratios.