Author(s): ZHANG Huijuan, WANG Henan, ZHANG Lühong, HAO Li, JIANG Bin, School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, National Engineering Research Center of Distillation Technology, Tianjin University
Pages: 2861-2867
Year: 2014 Issue:  11
Journal: Chemical Industry and Engineering Progress
Keyword:  low interfacial tension; reciprocating plate extraction column; solvent extraction; hydrodynamic; mass transfer; intensification;
Abstract: This paper studied the extraction performance of low interfacial tension system n-butanol-succinic acid-water(BSW) in a Reciprocating Plate Extraction Column(RPEC). Water as the solvent, extracted succinic acid from n-butanol phase. The experiment investigated the effects of flow rate,phase ratio, mass transfer direction and reciprocating rate upon the hydrodynamic and mass transfer performance. The results of extraction using stable sieve plate were compared. The results indicated that the reciprocating rate of plates should not be higher than 3.5cm/s to avoid emulsion. When phase ratio was 2.8,the operation approached the flooding point,and the experiment was not stable. The distribution of drops was better and the volumetric mass transfer coefficient was greater under the condition of higher flow rates and larger phase ratio. However, the range of increase was limited by the maximum throughput and the residence time of two phases. Due to its larger interface area, mass transfer direction from dispersed phase to continuous phase was beneficial in improving efficiency. The axial mixing in continuous phase was much more serious than in dispersed phase under the same operation conditions. Compared to stable sieve plate,the reciprocating plates can improve drops distribution increase the processing capacity and intensify mass transfer.