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Fluid dynamics of a liquid-liquid extraction process in a 10-cm-diameter column packed with 3.99 m of structured SMVP packing by Sulzer was studied, working with the n-butanol(disperse)/succinic acid (1%/wt.)/water(continuous) with both mass-transfer directions and different phase ratios. The disperse phase holdup and phase velocities during flooding were measured. The fluid dynamic variables experimentally obtained were compared with the various models in the literature, and the Mackowiak and Billet's model for the disperse phase holdup estimation was found to have the best adjustment to the experimental data for both transfer directions. Experimental values of 0.65 and 0.96 were obtained for the d ! c and c ! d directions, respectively, for the Cp constant in the Streiff and Jancic equation for the calculation of Vslip. The maximum throughput was found between 39.1 and 60.5 m 3 /m 2 h for the d ! c transfer direction and between 46.7 and 65.6 m 3 /m 2 h for the opposite direction, when the phase ratio varied within 0.35 and 2.0. The Kumar and Hartland's model exhibited the best adjustment under the maximum throughput condition when the model parameters were modified.

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