The effect of sodium dodecyl sulfate on mean drop size in a horizontal mixer–settler extractor

The effects of surfactant concentration, impeller speed, and holdup on mean drop diameter, D₃₂, during emulsification have been studied in a mixer–settler. Two well‐defined regions for the dependence of D₃₂ on surfactant concentration were observed. At low surfactant concentrations, D₃₂ decreased significantly with an increase in surfactant concentration, whereas D₃₂ did not depend on surfactant concentration at high surfactant concentrations. The decreasing rate of change of D₃₂ with impeller speed and the increasing rate of change of D₃₂ with holdup both decreased when a surfactant was added to the system. Moreover, an empirical correlation has been derived to predict D₃₂.