Prediction of holdup and drop size distribution in a disc-doughnut pulsed column with tenova kinetics internals for the water-Alamine 336 system

Tenova Pulsed Column Kinetics Internals (TPC-KIs) are a newly designed type of pulsed column internals with a novel structure that is expected to achieve less back-mixing, higher holdup and improved mass transfer. This study compared the hydrodynamic performance of TPC-KIs with standard disc and doughnut internals in a 2 m high, 76 mm diameter pulsed solvent extraction column with the water-Alamine 336-Shellsol 2046 system. The effects of the wettability of column internals have also been considered. Dispersed phase holdup and Sauter mean droplet diameter were measured under various pulsation intensities and velocities of both phases, and empirical correlations for holdup and drop size have been refitted within absolute average relative errors of 15%. Tenova kinetics internals have a lower holdup and larger Sauter-mean drop size compared to standard disc and doughnut internals, and these hydrodynamic parameters are predictable using the correlation developed in this study.