Flooding behavior of a 76.2 mm diameter pulsed packed column has been determined using four different liquid-liquid systems. The effects of pulsation intensity, flow ratio, interfacial tension, and packing geometry on flood point have been investigated. The results showed that the maximum throughput of the column decreases with an increase in pulsation intensity and flow ratio, while it increases with an increase in interfacial tension. The applicability of the characteristic velocity method to this type of column for the analysis of the flood point was examined and a marked deviation was observed between experimental results and values calculated by this method. Two new empirical correlations for flooding velocity and holdup at flooding are derived in terms of operating variables, packing characteristics, and physical properties of the liquid systems. Good agreement between prediction and experiments has been found for all operating conditions that were investigated.

Mass transfer performance is presented for a 76 mm diameter pulsed disc and doughnut extraction column for the toluene-acetone-water system. The experiments were carried out for both mass transfer directions. The mass transfer data are interpreted in terms of the axial diffusion model, thus accounting for continuous phase axial dispersion. The effect of operating parameters on the overall volumetric mass transfer coefficients has been investigated. The results show that the column performance increases with an increase in pulsation intensity. At high pulsation intensity, however, the overall volumetric mass transfer coefficient decreases due to the production of very fine dispersed droplets. It was also found that the column performance decreases with both an increase in dispersed phase velocity and a decrease in continuous phase velocity. An empirical correlation for prediction of the continuous phase overall mass transfer coefficient is derived in terms of the overall Sherwood number, Reynolds number and dispersed phase holdup for each mass transfer direction. The prediction of continuous phase overall mass transfer coefficients from the presented correlations is in good agreement with experimental data.

Dispersed phase holdup has been measured in a 76 mm diameter pulsed disc and doughnut extraction column for three different liquid-liquid systems. The effects of operational variables such as pulsation intensity and dispersed and continuous phase flow rates on holdup have been investigated and found to be significant. The existence of three different operational regimes, namely mixer-settler, dispersion, and emulsion regimes, was observed when the energy input was changed. The results indicated that the characteristic velocity approach is applicable to this type of extraction column for analysis of holdup in the transition and emulsion regions. Empirical correlations are derived for prediction of the dispersed phase holdup in terms of the physical properties of the system and the operating variables in different operating regimes. Good agreement between prediction and experiments was found for all operating conditions investigated.

This study examined the mass transfer performance in a pulsed perforated-plate extraction column with diameter of 50 mm using two different liquid systems. Mass transfer coefficients have been interpreted in terms of the axial diffusion model. The effects of pulsation intensity and dispersed and continuous phase velocities on the mass transfer performance have been investigated. Three different operating regimes, namely mixer-settler, transition, and emulsion regimes, were observed when the input energy was changed. Effective diffusivity is substituted for molecular diffusivity in the Gröber equation for prediction of dispersed phase overall mass transfer coefficients. A single correlation is derived in terms of Reynolds number, Eötvös number and dispersed phase holdup for prediction of the enhancement factor in all operating regimes. The prediction of overall mass transfer coefficients from the presented model is in good agreement with experimental results.

The adsorption characteristics of cadmium and nickel onto expanded perlite from aqueous solution have been investigated with respect to changes in pH of solution, adsorbent dosage, contact time and temperature of the solution. The maximum removal efficiency of Cd (II) is 88.8% at pH 6 and exposure to 10 g/L expanded perlite, while for Ni (II), it is 93.3% at the same pH and exposure to 8 g/L adsorbent. For the adsorption of both metals, the Freundlich isotherm model fitted the equilibrium data better than the Langmuir isotherm model. Experimental data are also evaluated in terms of kinetic characteristics of adsorption and it was found that the adsorption process for both metal ions follows well pseudo-second-order kinetics. Thermodynamic functions, the change of free energy (ΔG°), enthalpy (ΔH°) and entropy (ΔS°) of adsorption are also calculated for each metal ion. The results show that the adsorption of these metal ions on expanded perlite is feasible and exothermic at 20-50°C.

The volumetric overall mass transfer coefficients have been measured in a pulsed packed extraction column using diffusion model for two different liquid-liquid systems. The effects of operational variables such as pulsation intensity and dispersed and continuous phase flow rates on volumetric overall mass transfer coefficients have been investigated. Effective diffusivity is substituted for molecular diffusivity in the Gröber equation for prediction of dispersed phase overall mass transfer coefficients. The enhancement factor is determined experimentally and therefrom an empirical correlation is derived for prediction of effective diffusivity as a function of Reynolds number, Schmidt number and viscosity ratio. Good agreement between prediction and experiments was found for all operating conditions that were investigated.

The volumetric overall mass transfer coefficients in a pilot plant Hanson mixer-settler extraction column of seven stages have been measured using toluene-acetone-water system. The effects of agitation speed and dispersed and continuous phases flow rates on volumetric overall mass transfer coefficients have been investigated. The results show that the volumetric overall mass transfer coefficient increases with increase in agitation speed and reaches a maximum. After having reached its maximum, it falls with further increase in agitation speed. It was found that the volumetric overall mass transfer coefficient increases with increase in dispersed phase flow rate, while it decreases with increase in continuous phase flow rate. By using interfacial area, the overall mass transfer coefficients for continuous and dispersed phases are determined from volumetric coefficients. An empirical correlation for prediction of the continuous phase overall mass transfer coefficient is proposed in terms of Sherwood and Reynolds numbers. Also the experimental data of the column investigated are compared with data for various extraction columns. Comparison between theoretical models and experimental results for the dispersed phase mass transfer coefficient shows that these models do not have enough accuracy for column design. Using effective diffusivity in the Gröber equation results in more accurate prediction of overall mass transfer coefficient. The prediction of overall mass transfer coefficients from the presented equations is in good agreement with experimental results.