Abstract
The main object of the present work is to study the characteristics of a Fixed Baffle Contactor. The liquid systems used were carbon tetrachloride - acetic acid - water and MIBK - acetic acid - water. The equilibrium relationships for each of these systems were established. The investigation of the mass transfer properties of the contactor was centred on the variation of the baffle sizes and arrangements within the column, the physical properties and flowrates of the continuous and dispersed phases, and the initial solute concentration in the phases. The performance of the contactor was given in terms of mass transfer rates, interfacial areas and end effects. The longitudinal dispersion(axial mixing) properties, as summarised by the Peclet number and the Variance, were studied for the continuous phase; the relationship between the mass transfer operation and the axial mixing was also investigated. The Surface mean diameter of the droplet swarms was determined photographically under various flow conditions. This Surface mean diameter was used in conjunction with the hold-up of the system to evaluate the interfacial area 'a' of the dispersion and subsequently the value of (K)c was also found. This made possible a comparison between experimental and theoretical (K)c values. The interfacial turbulence, such as eruption of the droplets, was studied, and the relationship between the final concentration, the interfacial tension and the time was presented graphically.