Mass Transfer Enhancement of Propane Absorption into Dodecane-Water Emulsions

A one-dimensional unsteady heterogeneous parallel mass transfer (ODUHPMT) model was developed for the absorption enhancement of volatile organic compounds (VOC) by the dispersed droplets. An analytical solution for enhancement factor was obtained based on surface renewal theory and the Laplace domain transformation. The absorption rate of propane into water at different stirring speeds with the added micro dodecane droplets was investigated experimentally in a thermostatic stirred tank. The mass transfer flux across the gas-liquid interface and the enhancement factor were measured. The results showed that the dodecane has an obvious enhancement effect on propane absorption into water, the maximum enhancement factor reached 11. The enhancement factor increased with increasing dodecane volume fraction and decreased with increasing stirring speed. The experiment data agreed well with the model predictions and showed high prediction accuracy of ODUHPMT model.