Experimental study of the diffusion-controlled corrosion of copper in the bottom of a jet stirred reactor

Abstract

Jet stirred tank reactors are usually preferred to mechanically stirred tank reactors in the case of high pressure stirred tank reactors in order to avoid the mechanical problems inherent with mechanically agitated reactors. Owing to the impact force exercised by the fluid jet on the tank bottom, the tank bottom is subjected to severe corrosion. The aim of the present work is to address this problem using an accelerated system which simulates natural diffusion-controlled corrosion of metals. Diffusion-controlled corrosion of a fixed copper disc, at the bottom of a cylindrical tank, under a single phase forced jet flow of acidified dichromate solution was investigated. Variables studied were: physical properties of the solution, solution velocity through different diameters of jet nozzle, distance between the jet outlet nozzle and the copper disc surface; and the effect of using a drag reducing polymer. An overall correlation was obtained: Sh = 0.579 Sc0.33 Re0.975 (h/d)0.049 valid for 850 < Sc < 1322, 1852 < Re < 5000 and 0.3 < 1.2. Addition of polyethylene oxide as a drag reducing polymer was found to diminish the rate of corrosion under single phase forced jet flow by an amount depending on the operation conditions.