Volumetric liquid-liquid mass transfer coefficients (kLa) were determined for liquid-liquid-solid dispersion in a mechanically agitated baffled tank by using a conductivity probe.The effects of agitation speed

inert glass bead or PET particle diameter

type of impeller

impeller-to-bottom clearance

and the solids mass fraction on the mass transfer of the typical liquid-liquid extraction system (n-butanol-deionized water-succinic acid) were studied. The experimental results indicated that kLa increased in liquid-liquid and liquid-liquid-solid systems when agitation speed increased. The addition of glass beads enhanced the liquid-liquid mass transfer coefficients

but PET particles decreased the mass transfer rate. In both liquid-liquid and liquid-liquid-solid systems

the Rushton impeller is the most efficient one for mass transfer. The mass transfer coefficient showed a maximum in glass beads systems but decreased slightly in PET systems as the fraction of solid phase increased.For the Rushton impeller

kLa showed a minimum for glass beads systems and increased linearly with the increase of clearance for PET particles.