Experimental Study of Phase Inversion in n-Butylacetate-Water, Kerosene-Water, and n-Heptane-Water Systems in a Rotating Disc Contactor Column

An experimental study of the phase inversion phenomenon was carried out in a rotating disc contactor (9.3 cm diameter). The effect of energy input via agitation and physical properties of the liquids upon inversion holdup and also delay time (time of inversion) was investigated at the constant input flow rate of the dispersed phase under no mass transfer conditions. Water was chosen as the continuous phase, and it was kept stagnant inside the column. The critical dispersed phase holdup was found to be decreased by increasing the energy input via agitation. It was observed that the lower both the interfacial tension and the density difference of two phases, the greater the resistance of the system to inversion. Moreover, a reduction in delay time was observed by increasing the energy input via agitation.