Dynamic modeling of the absorption of acetic acid in rotating packed bed

Abstract Background We present a dynamic model for designing a rotating packed bed (RPB) demonstrating volatile organic compound absorptions with circulation. The developed RPB model can be applied for industrial process simulations and scale-up. Methods The industrial applicability of the model was validated using in-house steady-state and dynamic RPB experimental data. The absorption of acetic acid (AA) in gas stream by an RPB, evaluated using reverse osmosis (RO) water and 1 wt.% NaOH aqueous solution, established the model. The operational variables’ effects, such as rotational speed and gas to liquid ratio, on the AA absorption efficiency are discussed. Significant findings The height of transfer unit (HTU) of the RPB was less than 3 cm, indicating the superior mass-transfer efficiency of the RPB than that of conventional packed bed column. The RPB model could predict the HTU in a steady-state well for the AA absorption, and the average absolute deviations (AAD) of HTU for the absorbent using RO water and 1 wt.% NaOH solution were 19.2% and 15.2%, respectively. Furthermore, the RPB model accurately predicted the AA absorption in circulation well for 1 wt.% NaOH with initial AA loadings of 1.7, 1.9, and 2.0 wt.% and AADs of 3.5%, 1.7%, and 1.9%, respectively.