Behaviour of turbulent dispersions in a stirred single-stage cell

A simple procedure for experimental evaluation of breakage and coalescence rates in turbulent liquid-liquid dispersions was developed. Measuring drop size distributions in steady stale photographically and variation of the sp ecific interfacial area with time after a change in the stirrer speed by a laser light attenuation, the necessary parameters were evaluated by curve f itting. Influences of hold-up and stirrer speed were systematically investi gated with toluene or o-xylene dispersed in water. A sample set of equation s defining variation of breakage and coalescence rates with drop size, hold -up and stirrer speed was derived. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Ltd. All right s reserved.