Determining Effective Parameters on Hydrodynamic Characteristics of Pulsed Packed Column Using ANOVA Method: Determining Optimum Conditions with Maximum Extraction Efficiency

Using nanoparticles can lead to an increase in mass transfer rate in liquid–liquid extraction systems. Increasing the concentration of nanoparticles in liquids results in the deposition of nanoparticles and thus limits its use in extraction systems. In this paper, the effect of adding a surfactant to nanoparticle in liquid-liquid extraction systems on extraction efficiency is investigated. The effect of surfactant concentration on the extraction efficiency has been investigated both separately and in the presence of nanoparticles. In this research, the effect of continuous and dispersed phase velocity, and pulsation intensity on the hydrodynamic characteristics of the system has been investigated for the first time with the simultaneous use of silica nanoparticles and SDS surfactant in the vertical pulsed packed column. Using hydrodynamic system and in the presence of nanoparticles and surfactant, this research article provides optimum conditions to obtain maximum efficiency with minimum additives and pulsation intensity. ANOVA analysis (three-level Box–Behnken experimental design) has been used to investigate the effective parameters and sensitivity analysis. The results showed that pulsation intensity is the most effective factor on response. With increasing pulsation intensity from 1 to 2.5, the droplet size decreases and hold-up is increased from 0.02 to 0.05 (at Qd=Qc= 2 lit/s) in the system. Also, the effects of adding SiO2 nanoparticles and Sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) surfactant into a chemical system on the hydrodynamic characteristics were studied. The results showed that by adding nanoparticles the droplet size decreases while hold-up increases. Finally, a semi-empirical correlation has been proposed to predict the droplet size in terms of operational parameters, the system chemical properties and the nanoparticle volume fraction. It was found that when pulsation intensity, nanoparticle concentration and surfactant concentration were 1.75, 0.1, and 0.05 respectively, extraction efficiency increased to 0.98.