The Performance Characteristics of Pulsed Perforated Plate Columns

Abstract

Liquid-liquid extractions of acetic acid from acetic acid-methyl isobutyl ketone solution by means of water were studied in a pulsed perforated-plate column. Holdup of dispersed ketone phase and transfer rate of acetic acid, from which (HTU) _oe was calculated, were measured, and the performance characteristics of pulsed perforated-plate column based on the variation of holdup with the pulsed velocity was studied.
Three operation regions are defined from plots of holdup versus pulsed velocity of various conditions. Holdupcurves are divided into three parts; the mixer-settler region where holdup decreases with increasing pulsed velocity; transition region where holdup increases slowly; emulsion region where holdup increases abrubtly.
(HTU) _oe decreases with increasing pulsed velocity in the mixer-settler and transition regions, and increases in the emulsion region. Therefore, the minimum value of (HTU) _oe is obtained at the boundary point between the transition and emulsion regions.
The a_mf value at the two boundary points, holdup in the three operation regions and (HTU) _oe in the two operation regions were correlated as experimental equations.