A new correlation for predicting flooding point in supercritical fractionation packed columns

Supercritical fractionation is a unit operation which allows separation and purification of liquid mixtures and is of particular interest for low-volatility and thermosensitive mixtures. This process is an environmentally friendly alternative to conventional methods which use organic solvents or require rather high temperature, and it presents a great potential for a wide range of industrial applications. In this work, the scientific literature addressing the supercritical fractionation and more particularly the flooding in gravity-driven counter-current packed columns is investigated. The compilation of experimental data, approximately 400 flooding points, measured for compounds of different natures and for various packing materials and operating conditions, allowed to propose a new correlation for the prediction of flooding. Such correlation, representing the dimensionless capacity factor as a function of the flow parameter, commonly used for gas-liquid systems, constitutes a useful tool for a more reliable sizing and design of fractionation columns involving a supercritical fluid.

Automated summary

Supercritical fractionation is an environmentally friendly alternative to conventional methods, allowing separation and purification of low-volatility and thermosensitive mixtures. It has great potential for a wide range of industrial applications. The study investigates scientific literature on flooding in gravity-driven counter-current packed columns and proposes a new correlation for predicting flooding points based on experimental data for various compounds and operating conditions. This correlation provides a useful tool for more reliable sizing and design of fractionation columns using supercritical fluids.