Treatment of gases and dust using ''droplet columns''

The properties of the air-water state diagram, representing the liquid holdups according to gas velocities, in a 0.075 m diameter column are restated. After measurement of the interfacial areas and mass-transfer coefficients, the part of the diagram corresponding to high gas velocities and low liquid contents (10 < U-G < 14 m/s and 0.005 < U-L < 0.04 mis) was chosen for the treatment of polluted gas streams. Under these conditions, it was shown that a ''droplet column'' is very efficient for the treatment of gases polluted by acid vapors (SO2, HCl) and dust (iron oxide, talc, etc.). The cost of energy appeared more favorable than for classical bubble columns.