Model assessment for the prediction of mass transfer coefficients in liquid-liquid extraction columns

A large number of theories are reported in the literature for the calculation of individual mass transfer coefficients and each has a well defined application range, which depends on the nature of the continuous and the dispersed phases. Each theory is also based on a different transfer mode, e.g., the dispersed phase depends essentially on the drop behavior, which is directly related to the drop size. However, an accurate determination of the overall mass transfer coefficient depends upon the choice of the combination of theories to be used for the calculation of the individual mass transfer coefficients, i.e., for the continuous and dispersed phases. In the present work, different combinations for the calculation of the overall mass transfer coefficient have been tested for the commonly recommended Acetone/Toluene/Water system, which is characterized by relatively large drop sizes.