Journal of Chemical Engineering of Japan, Vol.37, No.12, 1471-1477, 2004
Removal of VOCs from gaseous streams in a high-voidage rotating packed bed
This work examined the feasibility of applying the rotating packed bed (RPB) with the high-voidage packing to the removal of volatile organics compounds (VOCs) from gaseous streams. Isopropyl alcohol (IPA) and ethyl acetate (EA) were used as the model VOCs herein. The overall volumetric gas-side mass transfer coefficient (K(G)a) was observed as a function of rotor speed, gas flow rate and liquid flow rate. The obtained results demonstrated that the high-voidage RPB could achieve mass transfer efficiencies equivalent to the low-voidage RPB. Consequently, the high-voidage RPB has a great potential in the reduction of VOCs from the exhausted gases. An empirical correlation was also proposed, implying that the K(G)a value varied with the centrifugal force to the 0.326 power.
Keywords:rotating packed bed;high gravity;absorption;mass transfer;isopropyl alcohol;ethyl acetate;volatile organics compounds