Abstract:The axial mixing is a key factor for design and scaling up of the pulsed extraction column which has strong influence on the mass transfer performances of the pulsed extraction column with discs and doughnuts. A steady-state concentration profile measurement was used to evaluate the mass transfer and axial mixing coefficients for the nitric acid/water/30%TRPO (in kerosene) system in the pulsed extraction column with the diameter of 38 mm on the condition of the TRPO-kerosene solution as the continuous phase and the flow ratio of 1∶1. Experimental results indicate that Ey evaluated by the experiments is in good agreement with that given by Burratti’s correlation; the axial mixing is far smaller for the continuous phase than that for the dispersed phase. However the empirical correlation for HOX is only given based on the present data.

Key words: pulsed extraction column; axial diffusion model; mass transfer; steady-state concentration profile