Reaction Engineering

CGC035 / CGC052

Gas / Liquid reactions and reactors

Introduction

Department of Chemical Engineering

Dr Stella Georgiadou

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Heterogeneous fluid – fluid systems
Involve components or reactants in different phases, like

 Gas / Liquid

 Liquid / Liquid (immiscible liquids, water / oil)

that may or may not involve a chemical reaction

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Gas / Liquid reactors or contactors can be used both in

• separation processes – absorption

• gas / liquid reactions – transesterification, hydrolysis, acetylation, oligomerisation…

• Reactive distillation where both reaction and distillation (separation) occur in a single
step, in one device enabling process intensification!

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Examples of Gas / Liquid non reactive systems

 Production of soft carbonated drinks

One of the steps of the process is

the absorption of gas CO2 gas in water
or an aqueous solution

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 Production of sulfuric acid : One of the steps of the process is
the absorption of gas SO3 in H2SO4 solution to produce oleum H2S2O7

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Examples of Gas / Liquid - reactive systems

Production of Na2CO3,

which is a water softener, food processing

aid, pH modifier, swimming pool chemical
and electrolyte.

⥮
CO2 + NaCl + NH3(aq) + H2O

NH4Cl + NaHCO3
↓+ heat
Na2CO3

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Examples of reactive distillation
Synthesis of Isopropanol

Wang SJ, Wong DSH, 2006. Journal of Process Control 16, 385–394

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Gas / Liquid systems, may have two forms….
Gas bubbles dispersed in Liquid drops dispersed in
a continuous Liquid phase a continuous Gas phase

The reaction always takes place in the liquid phase

This means that the gas reactant needs to transfer to the liquid phase for the reaction to occur!

1. Mass transfer (diffusion) 2. Reaction

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Liquid drops dispersed in a gas stream Gas bubbles dispersed in a liquid
 Drops or
bubbles:
dispersed
phase
L
 The bulk gas or
liquid:
continuous G
phase

Bubble tank
Spray tower

G
G

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Typical reactor types used for G/L systems

The reactor type selection depends on:

 The reaction rate

 Equilibrium Solubility

 The contacting scheme

Determines the interfacial area
available for mass transfer

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 The Overall Rate Expressions.
Since materials in the two separate phases must contact each other before reaction
can occur, both the mass transfer and the chemical rates will enter the overall rate
expression.

 Equilibrium Solubility.
The solubility of the reacting components will limit their movement from phase to
phase.

 The contacting scheme.

Determines the interfacial area available for mass transfer!
In gas –liquid systems continuous, semi-batch and counter-current contacting
schemes predominate. In liquid-liquid systems, mixed flow (mixer settles) and batch
contacting are used as well.

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Contacting patterns for G/L contactors (Levenspiel, chapter 24)

Steady state
operations

Plug G / Mixed G /
Plug G / Plug G / Mixed L Mixed L
Plug L Plug L
Unsteady state operations
where the liquid composition
changes with time

Mixed G / Batch uniform L Plug G / Batch uniform L

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Characteristics of G/L contactors

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 Reactor design

To design a single phase reactor, CSTR, PFR (where the reactants are in the same
phase) we developed design equations by combining

 Material balances
 Stoichiometry
 Rate expression (reaction kinetics)

To design a multiphase reactor for a G/L system (where the reactants are in two
different phases) we need to combine
 Material balances
 Stoichiometry
 Rate expression (Reaction kinetics + Mass transfer )

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The methodology that we will follow to design a multiphase reactor for a G/L system
consists from the following steps

1. Development of reaction rate expressions for G/L systems that account for both
Reaction + Mass transfer
1.1. Develop rate expressions for straight mass transfer in G/L systems by using the
two film theory

1.2. Describe pressure and concentration profiles according to two film theory

1.3. Develop rate expressions to account for both mass transfer + reaction

2. Development of design equations for G/L reactors

3. Solution of design equations

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