Chemical Engineering & Technology, Vol.37, No.9, 1468-1474, 2014
The Influence of Interfacial Areas for Gas Absorption in the Presence of Solid Particles
The mass transfer is investigated for physical absorption of oxygen in water for varying interfacial areas as well as the influence of suspended glass beads and activated carbon. Under higher rotational speed, the volumetric mass transfer coefficient as well as the mass transfer coefficient values increase for all specific interfacial areas due to the changes in hydrodynamics. The configuration of the free gas-liquid interface is of minor relevance. In the presence of glass beads, the mass transfer is reduced compared to physical adsorption, whereas an enhancement of the mass transfer can be observed in the presence of activated carbon. This indicates that the mobility of the gas-liquid interface is the determining factor. The renewal of the fluid elements is increased by adsorption of surfactants on the surface of activated carbon, leading to an improved mass transport.
Keywords:Activated carbon;Gas-liquid absorption;Interfacial area;Mass transfer enhancement;Stirred cell