Use of the electrically-driven emulsion phase contactor in chemical and biochemical processing

摘要

An electrically driven liquid-liquid contactor has been developed to enhance the efficiency of chemical and biochemical processes. A uniform electric field is utilized to induce a drop dispersion- coalescence cycle, producing high surface area for interfacial mass transfer under continuous-countercurrent-flow conditions. The mass- transport capability of this system has been analyzed by observing the extraction of acetic acid from water (dispersed phase) into methyl isobutyl ketone. Results showed that, due to increased efficiency of mass transfer, the electrically-driven device could be an order of magnitude smaller than a conventional contactor accomplishing the same level of separation. In the case of biochemical processes within non-aqueous environments, a biocatalyst (enzymes or bacteria) is introduced in the aqueous (dispersed) phase. The biocatalyst uses nutrients and other reactants to selectively transform species transferred from the continuous (organic) phase to the interior of the drops. An example of such system that has been investigated is the oxidation of p-cresol dissolved in toluene by aqueous-phase horseradish peroxidase.