Experimental investigation and modeling of the droplet size and distribution in a pulsed sieve-plate column for an emulsion liquid membrane system used in uranium extraction

• a comprehensive investigation of Emulsion Liquid Membrane in a pulsed sieve-plate column • for the first time, ELM droplet size in such a system was evaluated. • a novel empirical correlation for calculating D₃₂, which was developed. In this research, the droplet size distribution of an emulsion in an Emulsion Liquid Membrane (ELM) system was investigated in a vertical pulsed sieve-plate extraction column. The ELM system consisted of kerosene as the diluent, Span 80 as the surfactant, and Tri-n-Butyl Phosphate (TBP) as the extracting agent. The influence of key hydrodynamic parameters, including pulse intensity, dispersed phase flow rate, and continuous phase flow rate, on the resulting droplet size was systematically examined. The results demonstrated that the effect of pulse intensity on droplet size was significantly more pronounced than the effects of continuous and dispersed phase flow rates. Specifically, an increase in pulse intensity led to an approximately 24.4% reduction in the Sauter mean diameter (d₃₂). Subsequently, a novel empirical correlation for predicting d₃₂ was proposed, exhibiting an Absolute Average Relative Error (AARE) of 2.2%. Furthermore, the droplet size distribution was successfully predicted using a normal probability density function. The developed dimensionless correlations accurately estimated the parameters alpha (α) and beta (β) of the distribution, with corresponding AARE values of 7.8% and 3.5%, respectively. This study provides new insights into the fundamental understanding of droplet hydrodynamics in pulsed columns for ELM applications, which is essential for optimizing mass transfer and process efficiency in separation operations.