The structures of interfacial turbulence phenomena in multicomponent evaporation

and physical absorption and desorption processes were observed by using Schlieren photography.It was found that structure of interfacial turbulence was characteristic of interfacial mass transfer process.In physicial absorption and desorption processes of carbon dioxide into and from liquid methanol

toluene

chlorobenzene

and isobutanol

orderly roll and polygonal cellular convection were observed.These orderly flow patterns were dissipative structures.It was also found that at room temperature

evaporation processes of some pure organic liquids

such as ether

trichloromethane

carbon tetrachloride

and acetone etc.

showed strong interfacial convection

but the evaporation processes of other liquids

such as benzene

toluene

chlorobenzene

ethanol

butanol

isobutanol

and ethandiol

did not show such phenomenon. However

interfacial turbulence was observed in the evaporation processes of benzene and toluene mixture and ethandiol-ethnoic acid-ethyl acetate equilibrium mixture.It is reasonable to believe that under suitable operating conditions

interfacial turbulence may affect distillation processes.