DEHYDRATION OF ORTHO-BORIC ACID IN A 3-PHASE BUBBLE-COLUMN REACTOR OPERATING AT LOW-PRESSURE

This study investigates the applicability of the bubble column as a re actor to perform the dehydration of ortho-boric acid efficiently and e conomically. The effects of operating conditions such as reaction time , temperature, gas flow rate, particle size and solid content in the s lurry phase on the fractional conversion of the reaction have been det ermined, and the performance of the three-phase bubble column reactor operating at low pressure (92 kPa) has been discussed. It can be noted from this study that the reaction time has been reduced and the parti cle size and solid content which are required in the slurry phase for favourable fractional conversion have been increased in the bubble col umn reactor in comparison with those in the continuous stirred tank re actor. The reaction could be described by means of a fluid-solid heter ogeneous reaction model.