Chemical absorption of carbon dioxide into aqueous elastic xanthan gum solution containing NaOH

Absorption rate of carbon dioxide was measured in the aqueous xanthan gum (XG) solution in the range of 0–0.15 wt.% containing NaOH of 0–2 kmol/m3 in a flat-stirred vessel with an impeller of 0.05 m and agitation speed of 50 rpm at 25 °C and 0.101 MPa. The volumetric liquid-side mass transfer coefficient (kLa) of CO2, which was correlated with the viscosity and the elastic behavior of XG solution containing Deborah number as an empirical formula, was used to estimate the chemical absorption rate of CO2 (RA). RA, which was estimated by mass transfer mechanism based on the film theory using the physicochemical properties and the kinetics of reaction between CO2 and NaOH, was compared with the measured rate. The aqueous XG solution with elastic property of non-Newtonian liquid made RA increased compared with Newtonian liquid based on the same viscosity of the solution.