Maxwell-Stefan approach in extractor design

Abstract A new mathematical model for the simulation of multicomponent liquid-liquid extraction columns using the rate-based approach is presented. The model is characterized by the coupling of two main aspects in separation processes: a sophisticated description of hydrodynamics and rigorous simulation of mass transfer. For mass transfer, the mass conservation equations for the continuous phase and each drop class of the dispersed phase are written using the Maxwell—Stefan equations for multicomponents mass transfer, taking into account the thermodynamic noidealities of liquid—liquid systems. For hydrodynamics, the model takes into account backmixing characteristics of the dispersed and the continuous phase as well as the basic mechanisms of convective transport, axial mixing, drop breakage and coalescence. This is handled by using a population balance model and the drop size distribution over the height of the column.