Mass transfer and drag coefficients of bubbles rising in dilute aqueous solutions

Abstract The effects of aliphatic alcohols on mass transfer and drag coefficients of a carbon dioxide bubble were investigated in very dilute aqueous solutions. A high speed photography technique provided an almost continuous record of the bubble volume, shape, and oscillation, as related to the height of the bubble in the liquid and the time elapsed from the moment of its release. The results showed that the concentration, molecular size, and structure of the investigated alcohols have a pronounced effect on mass transfer as well as drag coefficients of the rising bubble. The significance of these effects with respect to idealized models of a highly circulating bubble and a solid sphere was considered, and a functional relationship was found to exist. This relationship may be applied to systems more complex than a single bubble.