Abstract
An important requirement for economical application of solvent extraction technology is rapid and efficient phase disengagement. However, much progress toward a clear fundamental understanding of the factors that affect phase disengagement rate will be needed before a logical approach to the problem will be possible. In this paper, we develop the conceptual framework for the study of drop-interface coalescence in collapsing liquid/liquid dispersions and present the details of the experimental setup employed in our initial work. The method for determining the drop-interface coalescence rate requires measurement of the average volume of drops (vf) adjacent to the interface, their number (n) per unit area of interface, and dispersed-phase throughput (Q) per unit area. We have employed recording videomicrography for measurement of (vf) and n, while Q is found from the changing position of the major interface as the dispersion band collapses (batch mode).
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 1535-1562 |
| Number of pages | 28 |
| Journal | Separation Science and Technology (Philadelphia) |
| Volume | 18 |
| Issue number | 14-15 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Nov 1 1983 |
Funding
This work was supported by the Division of Chemical Sciences, U.S. Department of Energy under Contract W-7405-eng-26 with the Union Carbide Corporation. We would also like to thank C. F. Coleman for his valuable suggestions during the course of the work and J. R. Knight for assistance with computer programming and assembling the experimental apparatus.