Prediction of drop size in a pulsed and non-pulsed disc and doughnut solvent extraction column

Abstract

Recently a number of industrial scale pulsed disc and doughnut (PDD) solvent extraction columns have been operating with no pulsation. However most of the published research studies in the literature that describe and predict the performance of PDD columns were developed for pulsing conditions. In this study the Sauter-mean drop diameter, d32, was measured and correlated under pulsing and non-pulsing conditions using a 75 mm diameter PDD column. Under non-pulsing conditions, the results show that the d32 slightly decreased with increasing dispersed phase velocity, while there was no noticeable change in d32 with continuous phase velocity. Under pulsing conditions, the d32 decreased with incr..