The mass-transfer area of nine structured packings was measured in a 0.427 m ID column via absorption of CO 2 from air into 0.1 kmol/m 3 NaOH. The mass-transfer area was most strongly related to the specific area (125-500 m Áh). Surface tension (30-72 mN/m) had a weaker but significant effect. Gas velocity (0.6-2.3 m/s), liquid viscosity (1-15 mPaÁs), and flow channel configuration had essentially no impact on the mass-transfer area. Surface texture (embossing) increased the effective area by 10% at most. The ratio of mass-transfer area to specific area (a e /a p ) was correlated within the limits of AE13% for the entire experimental database a e a p ¼ 1:34
Effective packing areas of Sulzer Mellapak 250Y and 500Y structured packings were determined in a 0.46-m
OD packed column. A chemical method (absorption of CO2 from air using 0.1 kmol/m3 NaOH) was employed
for the measurements. The packing performance was reported as fractional area, defined as effective area
normalized by specific packing area. Under high surface tension conditions (∼72 mN/m), the fractional area
decreased by approximately a factor of 2 in going from the 250Y to the 500Y packing. When similar tests
were conducted at reduced surface tensions (∼35 mN/m, achieved by the addition of surfactant), the fractional
area of the 250Y was unchanged, whereas that of the 500Y increased by 50% relative to the base case. The
results indicate that, at high surface tension, access to the surface of the 500Y packing was being inhibited.
Lowering the surface tension served to maximize the effective area of the packing.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.