Hydrodynamic and mass transfer correlations for SiC ceramic foam monolithic trays used in distillation column

Abstract

BACKGROUNDCellular foam materials are excellent engineering materials for many applications in chemical engineering, especially process intensification of chemical conversions and separation. Recently, a silicon carbide (SiC) ceramic foam monolithic tray was developed as an excellent mass transfer tool to improve distillation and it showed an improved operational flexibility. Previous studies have revealed the effects of open cell diameter and tray thickness on the hydraulic performance and mass transfer efficiency of SiC foam monolithic trays, but relevant correlations are still missing, limiting their practical uses.RESULTSIn this study, based on the published experimental data, empirical correlations were developed to predict the hydrodynamic performance and mass transfer efficiency of SiC ceramic foam monolithic trays. The new correlations include the influence of the tray structure parameters, such as open cell (or pore) diameter and tray thickness, and of the operation conditions (such as the liquid and vapor volumetric flow rates), and the data obtained agree well with the experimental results.CONCLUSIONThe availability of such empirical correlations can be beneficial for the chemical engineering design of practical distillation processes based on SiC foam monolithic trays. © 2023 The Authors. Journal of Chemical Technology and Biotechnology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry (SCI).

Special issue: 6th International Conference of Chemical Engineering & Industrial Biotechnology 2022 (ICCEIB 2022)

“…A few more studies address various aspects within the realms of chemical engineering and biotechnology, aligning with the conference's areas of focus. Na et al 13 highlighted the potential of cellular foam materials, specifically silicon carbide (SiC) ceramic foam monolithic trays, to enhance chemical conversions and separation in chemical engineering applications. This research resulted in the formulation of empirical correlations that account for tray structure parameters such as open cell diameter and tray thickness, along with operational conditions including liquid and vapor flow rates.…”