EFFECT OF SURFACTANTS ON THE RATE OF SOLID-LIQUID MASS-TRANSFER IN PACKED BUBBLE-COLUMNS

The effect of sodium lauryl sulphate (anionic) and Triton X-100 (nonio nic) on the solid-liquid mass transfer at a gas-sparged fixed bed of c opper Raschig rings was studied by measuring the diffusion-controlled dissolution of copper rings in acidified chromate solution. The variab les studied were the nitrogen flow rate, the type of surfactant, and t he surfactant concentration. It was found that an increase occurs in t he solid-liquid mass transfer coefficient with increasing the nitrogen flow rate. Increasing the surfactant concentration was found to decre ase the mass transfer coefficient. For a given surfactant concentratio n, it was found that Triton X-100 reduces the mass transfer coefficien t more than sodium lauryl sulphate.