Mass transfer behaviour of gas-liquid jet loop reactors

A special type of jet loop reactor (JLR), designed for continuous operation and short residence times was investigated with regard to its mass transfer behaviour, described by the volumetric mass transfer coefficient k_La. The jet stream and superficial gas velocities are varied in two JLRs of different sizes, equipped with different nozzles. Fully desalinated water, 0.08 molar NaCI solution and solutions of different concentration of carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) are used as the liquid phase. A steady-state physical method is employed to determine k_La: air oxygen is purged from the liquid phase by gaseous nitrogen. The measurements show that the reactor is characterized by high power density and high mass transfer performance. No limit of mass transfer capacity was observed in the chosen ranges of volumetric gas and liquid flow rates, i.e. at a given jet stream velocity, the relationship between k_La and the superficial gas velocity is nearly linear. The investigations show that the mass transfer contributed by the jet stream largely depends on liquid phase composition.