Liquid-solid mass transfer in gas-liquid cocurrent flows through beds of small packings

Abstract

Rates of mass transfer from liquid phase to small particles (average diameter, 0.46–1.3 mm) were measured by use of ion-exchange reaction followed by instantaneous irreversible reaction at 30°C. Nitrogen gas and dilute aqueous solution of sodium hydroxide were fed into a shallow bed packed with a strong cation exchange resin. Volumetric mass transfer coefficients for gas-liquid cocurrent upflow and downflow were almost identical at the same gas and liquid flowrates but became somewhat greater than those in liquid-full single phase flow. A unified correlation could be derived by arranging experimental data for three arrangements: liquid-full single phase flow, gas-liquid cocurrent upflow and downflow (trickle-bed). © 1981, The Society of Chemical Engineers, Japan. All rights reserved.