The present study, reports improved mass transfer by the mere introduction of a 90 degrees bend in a 2 mm diameter conduit. Experimental investigations have been performed on extraction of acetic acid from a hydrocarbon phase (toluene) using water as solvent in co-current flow. The effectiveness of the configuration is noted by comparing the overall volumetric mass transfer co-efficient (k(ov)a) with and without a bend in a conduit of 2 mm diameter and 1 m total length. Bend promotes slug flow and deters annular flow in the downstream section. Experiments in a straight pipe reveals that for the same fluid pair and conduit dimension, (k(ov)a) is highest in slug and least in annular flow. Interestingly, the bend orientation has a significant influence on mass transfer and the best results are obtained when the flow is initially horizontal followed by downflow. The experiments also reveal that a single bend is more effective than a helical coil - a conventional process intensifying device and the effectiveness is more pronounced when the coupled effect of mass transfer and pressure drop is considered. (C) 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.