ABSTRACT

GAS ABSORPTION IS THE PROCESS OF TAKING A DISSOLVED GAS SOLUTE

OUT OF AN INERT GAS PHASE. IT IS THE OPERATION IN WHICH A GAS
MIXTURE IS CONTACTED WITH A LIQUID PREFERENTIALLY TO DISSOLVE
ONE OR MORE COMPONENTS OF THE GAS MIXTURE AND TO PROVIDE A
SOLUTION OF THEM IN THE LIQUID. THE EXPERIMENT IS COMPOSED OF THE
LIQUID ADSORBENT (DEIONIZED WATER) FLOWING OPPOSITELY AN AIR
(INERT) DISSOLVED WITH CO2 (SOLUTE) IN A GAS ABSORPTION TOWER.
FROM THE ANALYSIS OF THE LIQUID SOLUTIONS FLOWING DOWN THE
ABSORPTION COLUMN, THE RATE OF ABSORPTION OF CARBON DIOXIDE
INTO WATER WAS IDENTIFIED AND CALCULATED. THE EVALUATION OF THE
PERFORMANCE OF A PACKED GAS-LIQUID ABSORPTION TOWER LED TO THE
OBSERVATION OF THE EFFECT OF GAS FLOW RATE TO THE MASS TRANSFER
RATE AS THE COLUMN APPROACHES TWO POINTS WHICH ARE THE LOADING
AND FLOODING POINTS. THE RESULTS SHOWED THAT AT HIGHER RATES,
GAS ABSORPTION NO LONGER FEASIBLE DUE TO THE FLOODING. THE
FLOODING RATE DETECTION IS VERY IMPORTANT BECAUSE IT SETS THE
CEILING RATE AT WHICH THE OPERATION IS SAID TO BE INEFFICIENT.
Keywords: Gas Absorption, Adsorbent, Flooding, Flow Rate, Mass Transfer, Packed Tower