Gas-liquid mass transfer in fixed beds with two-phase cocurrent downflow: Gas/Newtonian and non-Newtonian liquid systems

New data of gas-liquid mass transfer for cocurrent downflow through packed beds of porous and non-porous particles are presented. Mass transfer parameters for air/carbon dioxide/water, air/carbon dioxide/carboxymethylcellulose solution and air/carbon dioxide/sodium hydroxide systems were evaluated by least square tit of the calculated CO2 concentration profiles in gas phase to the experimental values. The volumetric liquid-side mass transfer coefficient increases with the increase of the flow consistency index of the liquid. A comparison of the volumetric liquid-side mass transfer coefficient values evaluated with and without taking into account the axial dispersion shows that the influence of the liquid axial dispersion is significant at low liquid velocity and high CMC concentrations, and the influence of the gas axial dispersion is insignificant.