MICROPOROUS MEMBRANE SOLVENT-EXTRACTION IN MULTIPLE-FIBER PASSES AND ONE-SHELL PASS HOLLOW-FIBER MODULES

The performance for solvent extraction in microporous membrane hollow- fiber modules with various fiber passes, but with a specified total nu mber of hollow fibers, has been calculated. Increasing the fiber passe s, as well as decreasing the total cross-section area of flowing chann els inside the hollow fibers, will increase the fluid velocity, thereb y leading to an increased mass-transfer coefficient. Considerable impr ovement in the mass-transfer rate is obtainable if multiple-fiber pass es, instead of a one-fiber pass, are arranged in a hollow-fiber module with a total number of fixed hollow fibers.