Empirical correlation of stable double emulsion system of organic compound extraction in emulsion liquid membrane process

Abstract

The stability of emulsion is crucial in the emulsion liquid membrane (ELM) process. It has been discovered that the size of emulsion droplets and globules is related to ELM stability and can be predicted using a correlation model. In this study, an empirical equation for the prediction of emulsion size in ELM extraction of succinic acid was developed. The accuracy of the correlation was compared with other established correlations at several affecting parameters including emulsification speed, emulsification time, agitation speed, and treat ratio. A new correlation for the succinic acid system was obtained that fit experimental data between 0.1-0.5 dispersed phased holdup fraction ∅, which is ""#$% = 0.0868(1 − 1.1071∅)We23.4 (whereD67, D8, and We is Sauter mean diameter, impeller diameter, and Weber number, respectively). From the study, the Weber number depended on the emulsification speed, emulsification time, and agitation speed, which consequently affected the predicted emulsion size. This study demonstrates that mathematical correlations can be used to predict the size of emulsion droplets and globules in the ELM process of organic compound extraction.