Effect of solids on oxygen transfer in agitated three-phase systems

A dynamic response method was used to measure the volumetric mass transfer coefficient for oxygen in a mechanically agitated vessel containing an aqueous suspension of 66 μm glass beads. At constant stirring speed and superficial gas velocity the volumetric gas transfer coefficient kLa was found to decrease with solids loading. A generalized equation correlated the results in terms of the volume concentration of the solids, the total power input per slurry volume, and the superficial gas velocity.