Methods for the determination of mass-transfer coefficients and effective interfacial areas in packed absorption columns are reviewed. For each parameter, the methods are grouped into categories on the basis of their physical principle; the chemical systems used, experimental protocol, and the advantages and inconveniences are discussed. The treatment of end effects, the influence of packed bed height, and the recent efforts in standardization of measurement methods are also treated. The aim of the review is to give a broad overview of the methods used in literature in the last eight decades , some of which might be reconsidered in the light of modern measurement techniques and to evaluate them in relation to precision, practicality and hazardousness thereby to facilitate the search for reliable, precise, and convenient experimental practices.

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