References absorption column design

Packed columns have been used in chemical industry for more than a century. The packing in a packed column provides a large surface area over which the gas contacts the liquid and the gas-to-liquid (and vice versa) mass transfer occurs (Fig. 3). As a result, the gas-liquid mass transfer process in a packed column is very efficient. Research and development on packed column has received much attention. One of the earlier and original literatures reported by Leva covers the principles of gas-liquid mass transfer in a packed bed, as well as packed column design and column internals. Recent reported literatures on gas absorption in a packed column from Fair et al., Strigle, and Billet are excellent references on transport phenomena in a packed column and packed column design. 

Absorptions and strippings may be performed in conventional plate-type columns or counter-current packed columns. In a few cases, specialized equipment is used. The traditional approaches to plate and packed column design, used in distillation, apply also to absorption and stripping. Thus, readers of this chapter should also refer to Chapter 12 particularly for dimensioning the contacting equipment. 

Although transport properties are, strictly speaking, not part of chemical thermodynamics, the most common correlation and estimation methods are briefly introduced here, as they are needed for process simulation steps that are determined by mass transfer (e.g., absorption columns) and for the design of the equipment (e.g., heat transfer). It was decided to present the methods for calculating diffusion coefficients here as well, although they refer to mixtures and not to pure compounds. 

In order to illustrate the use of packed columns in absorption operations, it is necessary to refer to mass transfer theory. The initial part of this chapter has been devoted to a review of the fundamental principles of mass transfer that need to be understood to design absorption and stripping columns. 

Updated and revised ihroughom, this standard reference describes recent advances in the design of tower packings and the commercial application of packed columns such as absorption, stripping, distillation, and extraction. It reflects current changes to improve energy efficiency and reduce the environmental impact of processing operations. 

Procedures, General Design Concept, Choice of Solvent, Selection of Column Diameter, Physical Absorption, Solvent Absorption, Natural Gas Dehydration, Gas Drying, Sulfuric Acid Manufacture, Formaldehyde Absorption, Absorption with Chemical Reaction, Cracked Gas Scrubbing, Amine Systems, Hot Carbonate Systems, Multicomponent Absorption, Reboiled Absorbers, Example Problem, Notation, References... 

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