Principle of operation
Absorption is a process of material transfer from a compound present in a gas phase to a liquid phase by dissolution. The reverse operation of transfer of a gas dissolved by an inert gas is called desorption. These processes are carried out in a packed column between an ascending gas effluent and a descending solution or solvent (countercurrent operation). The presence of packing increases the liquid-gas exchange surface, thus the material transfers. A heat exchanger at the bottom of the column makes it possible to cool the outgoing solution (the absorption is an exothermic reaction); in discontinuous operation this exchanger makes it possible to check the influence of the temperature on the efficiency of the absorption. A static mixer, located upstream of the introduction of gas into the column, serves to dilute the gas to be treated with an inert gas (air or nitrogen).
Equipment
Instrumentation