Mass transfer in centrifugal extractors

This contribution presents the methods of measuring the mass transfer in centrifugal extractors and of determining it during the individual life stages of a fluid element of the dispersed liquid, i.e. drop formation, motion, coalescence and stay in the stationary layer of the dispersed phase. The experimental mass transfer coefficients of the dispersed and continuous phases are compared with well‐known theoretical models developed for extraction columns in gravitational field. Due to the fast motion and coalescence of the fluid particles at high centrifugal field intensities, mass transfer in centrifugal extractors takes place during short contact times. Nevertheless, this contribution shows that mass transfer in a centrifugal field can be calculated with selected theoretical models of the gravitational field. The investigations on mass transfer are completed by a classification of the strongly deformed fluid particles in centrifugal field into regimes of circulating and oscillating drops. In addition, data on the performance of centrifugal extractors, undergoing several exchange steps, are given.