MASS-TRANSFER ACCOMPANIED BY REVERSIBLE CHEMICAL-REACTIONS IN AN INERT POROUS SPHERE IMPREGNATED WITH A STAGNANT LIQUID

The absorption of gaseous components in porous particles impregnated w ith a reactive liquid phase. has been studied theoretically. A model t hat describes this absorption process has been developed in which it i s assumed that the porous particles act as a liquid support and are ch emically inert. The model is based on the description of diffusion and reaction in a stagnant liquid sphere, and validated with several asym ptotic analytical solutions. Both reactions instantaneous with respect to the mass transfer rate and reactions with finite reaction rates ca n be applied. For the instantaneous reactions an approximation for the dimensionless total accumulation is presented if the diffusivities of the absorbed gas and the other components are unequal. For reactions with finite rates different absorption regimes can be recognized in th e time-flux diagrams. The simultaneous absorption of two gases which b oth-react in the liquid-impregnated particles, e.g. H2S and CO2 in aqu eous amine solutions, has also been studied. The results of the simula tions of the simultaneous absorption of two gases indicate that select ive removal of one of the gas components with porous particles impregn ated with a reactive liquid seems feasible.