Mass Transfer between Phases

Flows in small channels intensify processes such as liquid-liquid extractions which are widely used for the separation of metals, reprocessing of spent nuclear fuels and developments in pharmaceuticals. To improve the processes, it is important to acquire detailed measurements of the two-phase flows and mass transfer characteristics.

Imaging techniques and particle image velocimetry approaches are used to obtain the characteristics of the flow patterns, the interfacial area available for mass transfer and the velocity fields. Developed micro-laser induced fluorescence technique will be used to acquire the evolution of the concentration profiles and mass transfer of both phases along the channels. These studies are novel because the transferred species itself is monitored rather than an added tracer. The results will be used to further develop numerical models for intensified extraction units based on small channels and to obtain overall mass transfer coefficients necessary for the design and optimisation of these units.