PLATE WETTABILITY AND DROPLET DIAMETER IN A PULSED PERFORATED PLATE EXTRACTION COLUMN

The liquid-liquid plate contact angles of several plate materials were measured using a "preferential wetting method" proposed by the authors. The adhesional work (I(SL)), calculated on the basis of contact angles was utilized to evaluate plate wettability. The experimental results indicate that different plate materials affect differently plate wettability. The plate wettability of stainless steel in an aqueous phase was observed to be different from that in an organic phase. The droplet diameter in the mixer-settler region of operation of a pulsed perforated-plate extraction column using several different plate materials. was measured. An empirical correlation of mean droplet diameter: d(p)BAR = 0.222(a(f)/I(SL)1/3)-0.13 is proposed except for alumina plates with dispersed aqueous phase operation.