Mass transfer between a fluid and an immersed object in liquid-solid packed and fluidized beds

The mass transfer coefficient between fluid and an immersed sphere in liquid packed and fluidized beds of inert spherical particles have been studied experimentally using a column 40 mm in diameter. The mass transfer data were obtained by studying the transfer of benzoic acid from the immersed sphere to flowing water using the dissolution method. In all runs, the mass transfer rates were determined in the presence of inert glass particles 0.50-2.98 mm in diameter. The influence of different parameters, such as: liquid velocity, particles size and bed void age, on the mass transfer in packed and fluidized beds is presented. The obtained experimental data for mass transfer in the packed and particulate fluidized bed were correlated by a single correlation, thus confirming the similarity between the two systems.