Nomenclature

A
R
t

[-]
[q

Literature

= distr.but.on
(Superscript)
S
= solid

coefficent

,,

,,

Cited

1) Abu Elamayen,

2)

Chlopin,

V.:

3) Doener,H.A.

4) Feibush,
1605

(1958).

M. A.: J. Inorg.

Z. Anorg.

Allgem.

Nucl. Chem., 26, 2159 (1964).

Chem.,

andW. M. Hoskins:

(1925).

143,

97 (1925).

J. Am. Chem. Soc,47,

662

A. M., K. Rowley and L. Gordon: Anal. Chem., 30,

5) Kitamura,
M. and T. Nakai: Kagaku Kogaku Ronbunshu, 8,
442 (1982).

obtained by batch crystallization

..

phase

[-]

mole fraction of BAin original mixture

XBAlX OCBA
crystallization
temperature
mole fraction of precipitated
crystals
with respect to original mixture
mole fraction of BAin differential
crystallization
mole fraction of OCBAin differential
crystallization
average mole fraction of BAin crystals
..

= liquid

6) Klein, D. H. and B. Fontal:

,,

(Presented

defined by Eq. (1) [-]

at

the

47th

Talanta,

Annual

12, 35 (1965).

Meeting

of The

Society

of

Chemica, EngineerS; Japan> at Tokyo> 19g2>)

phase

AIR DRYING

BY PRESSURE

SWING

ADSORPTION

Kazuyuki CHIHARAand Motoyuki SUZUKI

Institute of Industrial Science, University of Tokyo, Tokyo 106
Air drying experiments by pressure swing adsorption (PSA) were carried out, using two columns packed with

silica gel as adsorbent. Measurementswere also madeof batch adsorption of water vapor on silica gel to obtain
input data for the authors' PSAsimulation program. Experimental PSAresults were compared with this computer
simulation. Good agreement was obtained and the trend of experimental results was well explained by simulation
for both isothermal and non-isothermal cases. In the simulation, however, mass transfer coefficients two or three
times larger than those estimated conventionally from batch measurement were used to obtain good coincidence.
These larger masstransfer coefficients were determined by a recently developed methodfor short adsorption and
desorption cycle.5} The simulation method is useful in predicting the performance of air drying PSA.

Introduction
Pressure swing adsorption
(PSA) processes are
cyclic processes for the separation of gaseous mix-

tures. They were developed during the 1960's as high

throughput
replacements for adsorption processes
employing thermal regeneration.
The principal steps involved in a pressure swing

cycle are adsorption during pressurization,

removal of

purified product during a high-pressure feed step, and

desorption

during

blowdown to low pressure.

purge step may follow depressurization. A portion of

the purified product is used as purge stream.
The higher throughput in pressure swing processes
compared to temperature

swing processes results

from the more rapid response of a gas-solid system to

pressure

change than to temperature

change. The

Received August 7, 1982. Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed

to Kazuyuki Chihara, Dept. of Industrial Chemistry, Meiji Univ., Kawasaki 214.
VOL.

16

NO.

1983

more rapid response permits shorter cycle times and

hence greater throughput.
Additional
advantages
claimed for pressure swing processes include low

energy requirement and low capital investment costs.

Pressure

swing processes

are widely

trially in air drying, hydrogen purification

used indus-

and pro-

duction of low-purity oxygen from air.6) These PSA

separation processes utilize the difference amongadsorption equilibria of componentsin gas mixture.
Few theoretical analyses of the operation have been
reported for PSA separation
in the literature.3>7)
Recently a simulation
method of nonisothermal
pressure swing adsorption
(PSA) was developed by
Chihara and Suzuki.1} In their method, non-equilibrium and nonisothermal
pressure swing adsorp-

tion for the removal of one adsorbing impure component, such as air drying, was simulated numerically
from start-up until steady cyclic modeis established.

Further, the dependence of product gas concentration

293

on the volumetric purge to feed ratio could be estimated by their simulation

method. The previous
design method3J) did not give any estimation of

product concentration nor of relations between product concentration

and purge to feed ratio,

though

this volumetric purge to feed ratio is the key point of

PSA design.
Comparison of air drying experiments with a simulation by Chihara and Suzuki's method was the focus
in this work, which consists of three parts. The
purpose of the first part was to obtain input data of
adsorption

equilibrium

and rate for computation.

The second part was the PSAexperiments. The third

part was the comparison of PSA data with the

simulation. The experimental results were compared
with the simulation with no fitting parameter.
1.

Experimental

1.1 Batch gravimetric adsorption

Pellets of silica gel (Fuji Davidson type A, spherical
and blue, 5 to 10 Tyler mesh) were used as adsorbent

for air drying PSA experiments. The adsorption

properties of the adsorbent were measured for use
in computation as follows.

A quartz spring balance was installed in a Pyrex

glass vessel. An MKSBaratron (1000 torr head) was
connected
with the vessel to detect the inside pressure.
About 1.0x 10~3kg of adsorbent pellets were hung
from the balance in a glass tube which was immersed
in a constant-temperature

bath. After degassing

the

adsorbent sample at 423 K for 1 hr, a small amount of

water vapor was introduced. The change in weight of
adsorbent corresponding to small step change of

adsorbate pressure was measured by the balance. The

pressure decay after the initial step change was also
recorded. Data were obtained at several small pressure intervals

vapor

in the range between 0 to saturation

pressure,

Ps, at

308K,

323K

and

353K.

Isotherms were determined from the final uptake at

the same time.

The weight and pressure change curves obtained
were analyzed to obtain surface diffusivity,
Ds, by
curve-fitting
of these experimental
curves with the
following theoretical
curves,2) assuming the surface
diffusion

controlling.
=i-E

1+f
= Wsq0/V(P0/RT)

1.2 PSAoperation
The original pellets of silica gel were crushed and
screened to yield the desired size (14 to 20 Tyler mesh)
of small particles. This fraction was packed in the
Pyrex glass tube as the adsorbent columnof PSA.
Twotypes of column, thick and thin, were used. A
schematic diagram of the apparatus for PSAexperiments is shown in Fig. 1. Adjustable check valves keep
the columnpressure at a fixed value in the adsorption
cycle. A rotameter was used to measure both product
and reflux gas flow rates. Dewpoints offeed, product
and purge were measured by a Panametric hygrometer. The operation mode of PSA cycle is as described
in the article1)
by Chihara
and Suzuki.

Experimental
conditions are listed in Tables l(a) and
(b).
The dew point of product gas was continually
detected by hygrometer during each run to check
whether cyclic operation had reached steady state.

The operation was judged as steady-state whenthe

dew point was kept within 2K for all day long.
Location of the
blue zone in the
cator of steady
changes slightly
was kept within

(1)

clic operation
were continued for more than ten
days until steady operation
was observed. Then
operational
conditions
were changed to reach another steady state. In the initial several runs, dew

points of feed and purge were measured after steady

state was reached to check the mass balance.
For the thick column experiments, stainless tube
(0.002m I.D., 0.04m O.D.) was set along each axis of
the cylindrical adsorbent columns. A thermocouple

was inserted into each tube through the end flange of

the column. Temperature was measured at several
locations along with the axes. This temperature
change was also used as an indicator of steady operation in addition to the product dew point and the

Po

LMi.
1+1

Mm

where q 's are the -th root of

3ft,

tang

3+^n2

T = DJ/Rp2
294

(2)

boundary

location.

After

getting

steady

dew point and boundary location for each run, temperature

p_=1

boundary between pink zone and

adsorbent column was another indioperation. Though this location
during a cycle, average location
0.01m in steady operation. After

starting up at one set of operational conditions, cy-

pink-blue

6^+l)e--2t

Mt

and

change was measured for one cycle at

nondimensional
0.75 and 1.0.

longitudinal

locations,

0, 0.25,

0.5,

2. Result and Discussion

2.1 Adsorption isotherm and adsorption rate of water
vapor on silica gel

Figure 2 shows the adsorption isotherm of water

vapor on original

JOURNAL

silica

gel pellets.

OF CHEMICAL

The solid

ENGINEERING

line in

OF JAPAN

Fig.

1.

PSA dryer,

experimental

apparatus.

1, Silica

gel

bed; 2, compressor; 3, needle valve; 4, solenoid valve; 5, check

valve; 6, hygrometer; 7, flow meter; 8, gas meter.

Table 1. Experimental conditions

for PSA operation

Fig. 2. Adsorption isotherm ofH2O on silica

gel.

a) thick column case

Adsorbent
L
r
s
y
ps

=
=
=
=
=

bed

0.127or0.15m
0.025m
0.40
0.73xl03kg/m3
1.22xl03kg/m3

Cps = 9.21xlO2J/kg-K

pg = 1.2kg/m3 (at atmospheric pressure)

Cpg

= 1.00xl03J/kg-K
Q = 6.3xl04J/mol

Feed
gas
vH = 0.058to0.061m/s
PH
c0
To
^
Purge

=
=
=
-

4.44x105Pa
0.48to0.71mol/m3
287to293K
600or1800s

Fig. 3. Surface diffusivity

gas

5x

bed

= 0.3m

= 0.012m

Other conditions were the same as those for

thick column runs.

eter

Feed
gas
vH = 0.263m/s

Purge
gas
vL = a"vHm/s
a
?2

= 1.25to2.1
= 600or300s

of 2.2nm.

Experimental

diffusivity

as surface

mated. Hence it is concluded that intraparticle

diffusion is controlled
by surface diffusion.
The activation energy of surface diffusion at 0.03kg/kg
of
amount adsorbed was 4.2x 104J/mol,
which was

To = 298K
tx
= 600or300s

= 1.01xl05Pa

104J/mol.

diffusion was almost ten times faster than that esti-

PH = 5.07x105Pa
c0 = 1.067mol/m3

i>L

lO4 to 6.3x

Surface diflfusivity of H2Oon silica gel as a function

of amount adsorbed is shown in Fig. 3. On the same
basis of driving force expressed by amount adsorbed
gradient, the obtained surface diffusivity was compared with the effective diffusivity, which was estimated by assuming that the diffusion is governed by
diffusion of Knudsentype at an average pore diam-

b) thin column case

L

gel.

by the above equation. Isosteric heat of adsorption is

vL =ol-vhm/s
PL = 1.01xl05Pa
a
= 0.75to1.23
t2
= 600or1800s

Adsorbent

of H2O on silica

about 0.8 of the isosteric heat of adsorption.

2.2 PSA operation
In the thick column experiments, dew points of
product gas, temperature

changes and locations

of

boundary between pink zone and blue zone at steady

operation

Fig. 2 shows the Freundlich equation as follows.

q*=1.92x

10-2(P/Ps)1/1

[mol/g]

(6)

Ps-PsO exp (-A/^r)

Apparently the experimental results can be explained
16

NO.

at several

conditions

by.

changing volumetric purge to feed ratio, a, and halfcycle time, tx. These three kinds of information (dew
points, boundary locations and temperature changes)
were compared with three

simulated

profiles

(gas-

phase concentration, amount adsorbed and tempera-

c=P/RT

VOL

were obtained

1983

ture) to check the suitability of the simulation method. Figures 4(a), (b), (c) and (d) show examples of
295

the experimental results, noted as RUNA, B, C, and

D, respectively. In each of these figures, experimen-

tally
obtained product concentration (dew point, D.P.
exp), boundary location (the arrow, BL exp, points
the location in the axial direction)
and two temperature profiles at the ends of both adsorption and
desorption cycles are shown. f=0 is the inlet at highpressure flow and the outlet at low-pressure purge

flow. By batch gravimetric adsorption, color change

of the silica gel was checked and found to correspond

to 8wt%to 10wt%of water adsorption. Therefore

Fig. 4(a). Example of temperature

profile

(RUN A).

the region of color changing, i.e. boundary location,

means that the amount of water adsorbed is 8 to 10%
in that region. In RUNA, B and C, volumetric purge
to feed ratio,

a, was changed from 1.23 to 0.75, while

half-cycle time, tl9 was kept constant (600s) to keep

throughput

ratio,

t1/t0,

almost constant

as shown in

Figs. 4(a), (b) and (c) and other conditions were fixed
(Table l(a)).
As a decreases,

Fig. 4(b). Example of temperature

profile

(RUNB).

product

concentration

becomes

worse from D.P.=201 K to 253K, and the temperature peak at the end of adsorption cycle and the
boundary location shift to the outlet at high-pressure
flow. Figure 4(d) (RUN D) can be compared with
Fig. 4(a) (RUN A), since only t1 was changed (to
1800s) in RUND from RUNA. As a result, dew
point rises, and temperature peak and boundary
location shift to the outlet at PH in RUND.
Figure 5 shows an example of the temperature
changes at various positions in the axial direction, as
obtained
in
RUNA.
Dew points of product gas and locations of
boundary between pink zone and blue zone at
steady operation were experimentally obtained at
several conditions by changing volumetric purge to
feed ratio, a, and half-cycle time, tl9 for the thin column experiments also. Figures 6 and 7 show the de-

pendence of product dew points and boundary loFig. 4(c). Example of temperature

profile

(RUN C).

cations, respectively, on a. Experimental dew points

are in the range between 213K to 183K and fall
reasonably with the increase of a. Also, dew points
shift to lower value by changing the half-cycle time
from 600s to 300s. Experimental location of the

boundary goes up from 0.03m to 0.18m by reducing

the volumetric purge to feed ratio. Also, operation at
300s

half-cycle

time lowers

the boundary

from that at 600 s half-cycle time operation.

2.3 Comparison of PSA data with simulation
Theoretical

temperature

profiles,

location

boundary

loca-

tions (BL 10 and BL 8 correspond to 10wt% and

8cal)wt%respectively)
and product concentrations
(D.P.
are shown in corresponding
figures (Figs. 4(a),

(b), (c) and (d)) for thick column experiments (RUN

A, B, C and D). Simulated product concentrations as
isothermal
Fig. 4(d). Example of temperature
296

profile

(RUND).

are also shown (D.P. iso).

Input

data for

simulation are adsorption isotherm of Eq. (6), overall

JOURNAL

OF CHEMICAL

ENGINEERING

OF JAPAN

however, were checked as follows. Whenadsorption

uptakes are approximated by linear driving force, the

overall mass transfer coefficient is usually expressed as

follows.

Ksav

= \5yDjRp2

(7)

Surface diffusivity is experimentally determined in the

first
part of this work. First, Ksav
determined
by Eq.
(7) was used for simulation
(DS=S.2x
10~12rn2/s,
Ksav=0.35kg/m3-s
Fig. 5.

Temperature

change at various

positions

in axial

direction during one steady cycle.

at 293K). Agreement with ex-

perimental data was not good.

Recently Nakao and Suzuki5} proposed an esti-

mation method for mass transfer coefficient, Ksav,

defined by including the adsorption and desorption
cycle time for the single spherical particle. Ksavincreases with decreasing cycle time in this new conception. Though the conditions under which they

determined Ksavare not strictly the same as those in

this work, Ksajs for PSAsimulation were determined again by their method.5) Using the larger Ksav
values

thus

obtained

(Ksav=0.$2kg/m3-s

for 600s

half-cycle and 0.44 for 1800 s), fairly good agreement

was obtained between experimental results and simulation as for temperature profile, boundary location

and product dew point. Also, the trend of the experimental data with change of operational

condition,

i.e. volumetric purge to feed ratio, a, and throughput

Fig. 6. Dependence of dew points of product gas on
volumetric purge to feed ratio.

ratio,

tjto,

is well

explained

by the

simulation.

Longitudinal heat conduction is neglected here.

In Fig. 5, an example of the theoretical curve, which

corresponds to the temperature change at z=0.5, is

plotted.
Amplitude is in good agreement, but the
simulation curve shows rather quick response. The

reason is not yet known, but the difference as the time

constant is not so great.
In Figs. 6 and 7, theoretical curves by computer
simulation

are shown for the thin

column experi-

ments. Input data for computation except the design

and operation condition in Table l(b) are the adsorption isotherm

(Eq.

(6))

and overall

mass transfer

coefficient, Ksav. Equation (6) was used for computation just as shown. As for mass transfer coefficient, Ksav determined by Eq. (7) was first used for

simulation (Ds= l.l x 10~n m2/s, Ksav=0Alkg/m3 -s

at 298 K). Agreement with experimental data was not
Fig. 7. Location of boundary between pink zone and blue
zone.

(Ksav=0.96kg/m3-s
for 300s)
determined

for

by Nakao and Suzuki's method5) were examined to

mass transfer coefficient, Ksav and complex heat

transfer coefficient through the wall, h0, with those
design and operation conditions shown in Table l(a).
h0 is estimated to be 62.8J/m2 -s-K for high-pressure
flow.
The adsorption

isotherm

(Eq.

(6))

was used for

computation just as shown. The values of Km,,,

VOL.

good. Then, larger

values
^=600s,
7CX=1.35kg/m3-s

16

NO.4

1983

obtain the curves in Figs. 6 and 7, though the

experimental conditions are slightly
different
from
those of their estimation method. These Ksav values

are two to three times larger than Ksav by Eq. (7). The
simulation

curves well explained

the trend and the

absolute value of the experimental results for both the

product concentration and the boundary location.
Longitudinal heat conduction was neglected in these
297

mass transfer coefficients were determined by Nakao

and Suzuki's recently developed method, which defines Ksav by including the adsorption and desorption
cycle time. It is concluded that the simulation method
developed previously1} is useful in predicting
the

performance of air drying PSAwith the new estimation method for Ksav.5) Further improvement of
the simulation might be possible by improving the
treatment of heat transfer and the estimation of heat
transfer

Acknowledgment
The authors express their gratitude to Mr. Ryuichi Shimoyoshi,
on leave from Kanagawa University, for his assistance in the
experimental part of this work.

Fig. 8. Dependence of product gas dew points on tw.

Nomenclature

considerations because of its low sensitivity.

In these simulations,
isosteric
heat of adsorption,
g, was assumed to be zero for thin column experi-

ments. Heat generation effect was checked, however,

by inputting
the exact heat of adsorption and estimated complex heat transfer coefficient through the
wall, h0, with column diameter to the computer.

Figure 8 shows the computation results (chained line

with

three

circles)

(a=0.17,

^=600s),

which

shows

Cpg = heat capacity of gas

[J/kg"K]
Cps = heat capacity of adsorbent
[J/kg " K]
c
- adsorbate concentration in gas phase [mol/m3]
c0
= adsorbate concentration in feed gas [mol/m3]
Ds
= surface diffusivity
[m2/s]
h0
Ksav
L

responds to tw= 1500 is that for the nonisothermal

Mt
M^
p
Po
PH

Circles for tw=500 and 50, and upper horizontal line

(tw= 0), are hypothetical calculations. Therefore, the

PL
Ps
P^

the dependenceof product concentration on the wall

effect parameter, tw. The lower horizontal line is that
for the isothermal
case

with

estimated

case and the circle

h0 (=182J/m2-sK

which corat

PH).4)

isothermal assumption is found to be reasonable in

this operation condition of thin column.
Figure 8 shows also the dependence of outlet
concentration on tw at the condition of RUNA by
changing only h0 (dotted line, tw=850 is the actual
condition).
Therefore, nonisothermal
treatment is

reasonable for thick column.

C onclusion
Continuous

air drying

experiments

by pressure

swing adsorption (PSA) were carried out, using two

columns packed with silica gel as adsorbent. Columns
of 0.024m and 0.05m in diameter were used. Also,
batch adsorption equilibrium and rate measurements
were made to obtain input data for the computer
simulation
developed by Chihara and Suzuki.1}

Experimental PSAresults were compared with the

computer simulation. Goodagreement was obtained
and the trend of experimental results was well explained by simulation
for both isothermal
(small-

diameter
column) and non-isothermal (large-diameter
column) cases. In the simulation,
however, mass
transfer

coefficients two or three times larger

than

those estimated originally from batch measurement

were used to obtain
298

good coincidence.

coefficient.

These larger

q0

qn
q*
q0*
R
Rp
r
T
To
t
r0
tt
t2

= overall heat transfer coefficient

through the wall
[J/m2 " s " K]
= overall mass transfer coefficient
[kg/m3 " s]
= adsorbent bed length
[m]

= uptake in batch adsorption

[kg]
= final uptake in batch adsorption
[kg]
= water vapor pressure
[Pa]
= initial
P increased
[Pa]
= pressure in adsorbent column at adsorption
step
[Pa]
= pressure in adsorbent column at purge step [Pa]
= saturated water vapor pressure
[Pa]
= constant in Eq. (6)
[Pa]

= isosteric

heat of adsorption

= final increase of amount adsorbed in

infinite
volume by increase
of Po
= nth root ofEq. (3)
= equilibrium
amount adsorbed
= equilibrium amount adsorbed with c0
= gasconstant
= adsorbent particle radius
= radius of adsorbent bed
= bed temperature
= ambient temperature
= time
= (Lyqo*)/(evHco):
saturation time
= adsorption cycle time
= purge cycle time

[J/mol]

[kg/kg]
[-]
[kg/kg]
[kg/kg]
[J/mol"K]
[m]
[m]
[K]
[K]
[s]
[s]
[s]
[s]

V
- volume of vessel
[m3]
vH = interstitial
velocity at high pressure flow [m/s]
vL = interstitial
velocity at low pressure flow [m/s]
Ws = weight of adsorbent
[kg]
z
= position in bed
[m]
2

= z/L

[-]

a
y
8pg

= volumetric purge to feed ratio

[-]
= bed density
[kg/m3]
= bed
porosity
[-]
= gas density
[kg/m3]

ps
X
z

= adsorbent particle density

[kg/m3]
= heat of water vaporization
[J/mol]
= dimensionless time defined by Eq. (4)
[-]
JOURNAL

OF CHEMICAL

ENGINEERING

OF JAPAN

=to/{(pgCpg+yCps)r/2ho}

= defined

4) Mizushina, T. et al\ "Heat Transfer and Heat Exchanger,"

in Kagaku Kogaku Binran, pp. 255-385, Maruzen, Tokyo

by Eq. (5)

(1978).

5) Nakao,
S. and M. Suzuki: J. Chem. Eng. Japan,
(1983).

Literature Cited
1) Chihara,
(1983).

K. and M. Suzuki:

J. Chem. Eng. Japan, 16, 53

2) Crank, J.: "The Mathematics of Diffusion,"

Oxford (1975).
3) Mitchell, J. E. and L. H. Shendalman: AIChESymp. Ser., 69,
No.

134,

25 (1973).

6)

Skarstrom,

Science,"

COAGULATION
IN A VISCOUS

Developments

Vol. 2, pp. 95-106, CRC Press,

(1972).

7) Shendalman,
1449

TURBULENT
DISPERSED

C. W.: "Recent

(1972).

L. H. and J. E. Mitchell:

16, 114

in Separation

Cleveland,

Chem. Eng. Sci.,

Ohio
27,

OF PARTICLES
FLUID

Ko HIGASHITANI, Kiyoyuki YAMAUCHI, Yoshizo MATSUNO

and Gijiro
HOSOKAWA
Department of Environmental Engineering, Kyushu Institute of Technology, Kitakyushu 804
A kinetic equation for the turbulent coagulation of particles in a viscous fluid in which the hydrodynamic
interaction between colliding particles is taken into account is proposed. The theoretical prediction of the timedependent behavior of particle concentration is compared with results of experiments in which latex particles in
KC1 solutions are coagulated in a stirred tank. It is found that the effect of the hydrodynamic interaction is not
negligible,
and that changes of particle concentration under various experimental conditions are quantitatively
predicted by the present theory. On the other hand, the Saffman-Turner theory is found to overestimate the
coagulation rate considerably and to yield a systematic error in the dependence of coagulation rate on the
dissipation
energy.

Introduction
The coagulation

of colloidal

particles

is found in

theory developed by Saffman and Turner11} is somewhat more rigorous. However, it is assumed in their
analysis that particles encounter each other without

manynatural phenomenaand industrial processes. In

interacting

hydrodynamically;

that

is, each particle

medium. If there

or the interparticle
attractive force acts such that it
cancels the effect of the hydrodynamic interaction.
But it is unlikely that the theory is applicable
to the

most situations the coagulation is caused by the flow

of turbulence, where particles collide because of their
relative motion induced by the velocity field of the

behaves as though the others were not present. This

theory is approximately applicable to the collision in
which the effect of inertia of particles is predominant,

between particles, every collision leads to coagulation.

This process, called rapid coagulation, in a turbulent
viscous fluid is treated in this paper.

collision between sufficiently

A theoretical

exists

no repulsive

treatment

surface force

of turbulent

coagulation

was carried out approximately by Camp and Stein,2)

assuming that the collision mechanismof particles is
analogous
to that of the
shear coagulation proposed
by Smoluchowski.12)
Levich7) also derived a kinetic
equation of turbulent coagulation, assuming that the
problem of coagulation of particles transported by
turbulent eddies is reduced
characterized
by a turbulent
Received

September

27, 1982.

Correspondence

to a diffusion problem
diffusion coefficient. A
concerning

this

article

should

be

addressed to Ko Higashitani. Y. Matsuno is at Dept. of Industrial Chemistry, Kyushu

Institute
of Tech., Kitakyushu 804. K. Yamauchi is now with Fuji Electric Co., Ltd., Hino
191.
VOL. 16 NO. 4 1983

small particles dispersed

in a viscous fluid. The theories described above were

developed to predict the coagulation process in which
particles follow the fluid motion completely. There is
another mechanismof turbulent coagulation in which
the particle collision is attributed to the inertia of
particles. This mechanism is not treated here because
it is applicable to rather large particles in a vigorous
turbulence.
Experimental investigations
on turbulent coagulation have been carried out for aerosols,1'10)
but no
rigorous measurements for colloidal
dispersions
in
aqueous solutions are found.
299