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Gas–liquid mass transfer in three‐phase inverse fluidized bed reactor with Newtonian and non‐Newtonian fluids
Author(s) -
Sivasubramanian V.
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
asia‐pacific journal of chemical engineering
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.348
H-Index - 35
eISSN - 1932-2143
pISSN - 1932-2135
DOI - 10.1002/apj.290
Subject(s) - mass transfer , mass transfer coefficient , newtonian fluid , thermodynamics , chemistry , non newtonian fluid , chromatography , viscosity , phase (matter) , analytical chemistry (journal) , materials science , composite material , organic chemistry , physics
Liquid‐phase volumetric mass transfer coefficients, k L a were determined in three‐phase inverse fluidized beds of low‐density polyethylene (LDPE) and polypropylene (PP) spheres fluidized by a countercurrent flow of air and Newtonian (water and glycerol solutions) or non‐Newtonian liquids [carboxy methyl cellulose (CMC) solutions]. The effects of liquid and gas velocities, particle size, solid loading and addition of organic additives (glycerol and CMC) on the volumetric mass transfer coefficient, k L a were determined. The superficial liquid velocity had a weak effect on the mass transfer whereas the gas flow rate affected the mass transfer positively. k L a increased with increase in particle diameter and decreased with increase in initial bed height (solid loading). k L a decreased as the concentration of glycerol (viscosity) and CMC increased. Empirical correlations are presented to predict the gas–liquid volumetric mass transfer coefficient in terms of operating variables. Copyright © 2009 Curtin University of Technology and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.