In order to study the dependence of liquid phase capacity coefficient in a packed tower on the physical properties of the absorption system, experiments were conducted on the purely physical absorption of carbon-dioxide by various solvents. As the solvents, ethyl-alcohol, methyl-alcohol, water, benzene, decalin and carbon-tetrachloride were used.
With all the solvents, the kLa vs. L curves had a critical point where the dependence of kLa on L showed a sudden change. The critical values of (L/μ) were correlated by Eq. (4') for all the solvents except water, for which the critical value (L/μ) was found to be equal to 1300. Experimental results ranging below these critical points are expressed by Eq. (5) while those above them are expressed by Eqs. (6) and (7).
From Eqs. (5) and (6), the exponent of Schmidt number relating to (kLa/DL) was found to be approximately 1/2. This value agrees quite well with the results obtained by Sherwood and Holloway as well as those of our previous investigation₆₎ and the prediction by Higbie.