Selection Of Mist Eliminators

By Mukesh C Khagram, M.S. (Chem Engg)*

GAS-LIQUID contactors form a large segment of equipment used in the chemical

process industry. These include packed and plate distillation and absorption towers,
scrubbers, evaporators, knockout drums, etc. In all these contractors the separation of
the gas and liquid phase is not complete even after allowing a substantial
disengagement space. The liquid phase tends to be carried away in the gas phase and
this liquid entrainment is a common problem in any process handling gas and liquid.

Equipment for removal of this liquid entrainment (colloquially termed as mist) in the
gas stream is referred to by several terms, viz mist eliminator, entrainment separator,
demister, etc. The term mist eliminator has a wide usage and hence is used in this
article to denote all such types of equipment. Mist eliminators are therefore widely
used to:
a) Reduce loss of valuable product to improve product purity (process gas
cleaning).
b) Prevent air pollution (exhaust gas cleaning).
c) Prevent downstream corrosion and eliminate contamination (of downstream
catalyst).

No gas-liquid contactor operation generates a uniform size particle and in general a

droplet size distribution is generated. Depending on how they originate, these droplets
can be classified as shown in Fig.1. As one reads across the table, one should realise
that there are no sharp distinctions between the various zones. However, a
classification scheme, though arbitrary, does emerge from Fig.1.

A spray consists of particles larger than 30 microns and is generated from low energy
input contacting devices such as distillation towers, hydraulic (low pressure) nozzles
and evaporators.

Mists are created from such systems as high energy pneumatic (two fluids) spray
nozzles, absorption towers etc. and consists of droplets in the 3-30 microns range.

Fogs, smokes and fumes are droplets smaller than 3 microns and are formed due to
rapid condensation or by creation (by reaction) of liquid within the gas phase.

For the purpose of selecting a suitable mist eliminator (or entrainment separator) it
would be necessary to discuss:

a) The causes of entrainment formation.

b) The mechanisms for entrainment elimination.
c) The equipment for entrainment separation/ mist elimination.
Formation
Mist can be formed due to:
A. Improper contactor resulting into a mechanical breaking operation. These
include:
i) Inconsistent voidage in a packed towers which results in channeling of gas
and liquid at certain locations. This channeling leads to high local
velocities which causes entrainment. For instance, in the case of packed
towers using Raschig Rings, channeling is unavoidable and such towers
are likely to generate more mist than those packed with Intalox Saddles or
Pall Rings. In the case of tray towers, a high hydraulic gradient causes gas
mal-distribution resulting into jetting and consequently mist formation.
ii) An improper design of liquid distributor of a packed tower can give rise to
high velocity liquid jets impacting on the packing. These create small
droplets which are easily entrained.

In both these cases, relatively coarse size particles have been observed, usually greater
than 5 microns in diameter. The dispersion is therefore of relatively coarser particles.

B. Process Conditions: These include:

i) When two saturated streams, at different temperatures, on mixing yield an
intermediate temperature which the total stream is supersaturated. Mixing
of two glycol recycle streams in the glycol dehydrations process is a
typical example to this.
ii) Another case under this classification involves shock cooling and
subsequent condensation of liquid particles from a gas. In the case of
sulphuric acid manufacture, the converter gases are partially cooled to
200-250°C in the economiser. When oleum is made the gases are further
rapidly cooled to 40-70°C instead of 75-100°C for 98% sulphuric acid.
The partical cooling in the economiser itself causes mist formation but the
subsequent rapid cooling is known to contribute to much of the total mist.
In general, the more rapid the cooling and the lower the diffusivity of the
condensing material, the smaller is the mist.
iii) Chemical reaction between two or more gases which forms a product with
a low vapour pressure also leads to mist formation. The vapour phase
reaction between SO, and water producing sulphuric acid mist is an
example of this type.
iv) Non-adiabatic cooling of a gas containing a condensible vapour produces a
very fine mist. The condensation mist of water vapour during cooling of
hot compressed gases is a typical example.
All these mechanisms are known to yield extremely fine mists with
particles in the range of submicron to a few microns.
Mechanisms
The simplest way to remove an entrained droplet would be a gravity settler or a
disengagement chamber. The path of the liquid is obtained from a force balance on
the particle where the weight of the particle is balanced by its momentum and the drag
on the particle. If the velocity of the particle is made sufficiently low, the particle
settles down easily and it can be trapped and removed from the gas stream. However,
a large chamber would be required for such an operation which would render it
uneconomical. Hence, industrially mist eliminators utilise one or more of the
collection mechanisms cited below:
a) Centrifugal force
b) Electrostatic attraction
c) Inertial impaction
d) Direct interception
e) Brownian diffusion

When the gravitational acceleration is replaced by a centrifugal force contribution in

the force balance equation cited above, we get the basis for design of a cyclonic
separator.

Electrostatic precipitators develop high voltage electrical charges between parallel

plates or within tubes with a central core electrode. Electrical charges present on the
entrained liquid particles cause them to be attracted to an oppositely charged surface
in the precipitator where they are collected and drained. Electrostatic precipitators are
most effective with low liquid loading and can achieve high collection efficiencies of
submicron particles.

The balance three mechanisms shown in the Fig. 2 are widely employed and are based
on the theory of aerodynamic capture of particles as they move along a streamline
with the parent gas around a solid object barrier. This barrier could be a baffle plate
assembly, a packed bed of wires or fibres.

1) Inertial Impaction: In the presence of a solid body barrier, a larger or heavier

particle (whose momentum varies with density and cube of its diameter) will
not necessarily follow the streamline of a flowing gas. These particles are
projected against this barrier due to their higher inertia and hence we have to
capture by the mode of inertial impaction. It is the main mechanism of
removing large droplets (> 10 microns) from scrubbers, evaporators and crude
towers.

2) Direct Interception: Particles that do follow streamlines may still be collected

if they travel at a distance equal to or less than their radius from the solid body
barrier. This phenomenon of direct interception is often the governing
mechanism in many refinery and chemical process operations.

3) Brownian Movement/ Diffusion: With decreasing particle size the particles

tend to behave like gas molecules and move in a random motion called
Brownian motion. The intensity of Brownian motion increases, a 0.1 micron
particle exhibits five times the Brownian movement of a 1 micron particle.
The capture of these particles follows collision with the collecting surface
during their random motion. This mechanism is the predominant mechanism
for collection of submicron particles such as fine mists from acid absorbers,
chlorine Celts, etc
Therefore, just as there are no clear demarcation areas between different types of
aerosols, so there are no easily defined limits at which one capture mechanism ceases
to be important and another takes over. All three mechanisms in varying degrees over
the entire size range of particles.

Equipment Selection
Regardless of the collection mechanism or equipment utilised, all mist eliminators are
designed to operate as coalescers or agglomerators and not as filters as is the general
belief. The mist eliminators are required to combine minute liquid particles into larger
drops which can be readily removed from the process by gravity (drainage).

It is clear from the above discussion that the mechanism of capture depends on the
particle size. Accordingly for the particles of relatively large diameters (ie. of the
same order of magnitude as the solid object barrier) the inertial impaction and direct
interception mechanisms are relevant. However, for particles in the submicron range,
the Brownian diffusion mechanism is the dominant mode of collection. Evidently
selection of the proper mist eliminator would therefore depend on the particle size
distribution.

The most widely used device for liquid particle size measurement is the cascade
impactor. It can accurately measure liquid particles in the general range from about
0.2 microns to about 5-10 microns. However, there is currently no commercially
available device to accurately measure the diameter of the liquid droplets in the range
of 10-100 microns. While techniques such as high speed photography have been used
in laboratory studies, this method is not practical for field use. In additions for many
processes, sampling and particle size analysis may not be practical or even possible.
Often the expense of sampling many equal or exceed the actual cost of the mist
eliminator.

In practice, the majority of the mist eliminators installed have been specified and
designed based in the experience and knowledge of the particular process. This is
feasible since the nature of the process will usually determine the particle size
distribution of the entrained liquid and hence the equipment for its elimination.

Since the difficulty of separation increases with deceasing particle diameters, the
chevron/baffle type separators are used to eliminate coarse particles and removal finer
droplets (Fig.3)

A) Chevron / Baffle Type Separators: They operate by diverting the gas stream
with the aid of a wavy baffle arrangement. The inertia of the large droplets prevents
them from following the gas streamline and thus they are collected on the
impingement surface. These eliminators (also referred to as inertial impaction type
Mist Eliminators) are particularly suited where service throughput is high, liquid
loadings are heavy, suspended solids are present a..d for removing viscous materials
where fouling and plugging can be severe. The pressure drop across them is very low
– less than 15 mm of WC for most designs. However, poor efficiencies below particle
diameters of 10-30 microns render them useful only as coarse spray separators.

B) Mesh Mist Eliminators: They are usually made of knitted metallic wires or
synthetic monofilaments. The wire is first knitted to form interlocking loops on a
drum and then into a tube on a drum and then into a tube which is flattened and
crimped to form a layer. Several such layers are placed one above the other to obtain
the desired height. The unit thus completed is sandwiched between a top hold down
grid and a bottom supporting grid. In general the collection efficiency of a mesh pad
is direct function of pad thickness and density and is inversely proportional to the wire
diameter.

The wire diameter most widely used is 0.274 mm (32 SWG). Finer diameters up to
0.11 mm (41 SWG) are also used sometimes to achieve a higher collection efficiency
since it is quite evident that a finer wire (i.e, a smaller barrier dimension) will lead to
improve collection of particles. However, corrosion rates are higher for smaller
diameter wires because of higher surface area exposed. Wherever corrosion is totally
ruled out, finer diameters may be used. A mesh pad 100-150 mm thick is generally
found to give an optimum performance but it can also be tailored to any thickness to
satisfy special requirements.

The efficiency of collections of a mesh pad is a function of the gas velocity through
the mesh pad. At very low gas velocities the inertial forces are very low and target
wires in the flow field cannon capture the particles effectively. As the gas velocity
increases the efficiency increases up to a certain point, after which the drag exerted by
the gas on the descending liquid causes flooding if the liquid loading is sufficiently
large. Consequently, re-entrainment of the drops occurs.

For large vessels, sectional pieces are supplied to fit through manways for easy
installation. Another advantage of mesh pad is its availability in various materials of
construction such as stainless steels 304 and 316, Monel, Nickel, Titanium and higher
alloys in metals of polypropylene, polypropylene, Teflon, etc. in plastics.

C) Fibre Bed Mist Eliminators (FBME): Very fine particles of pollutants present
in large numbers along with large particles may not contribute significantly to the
quantity of the pollutant emitted. However, these particles, because of their large
surface to volume ratio have a very high light scattering/ reflecting capacity which
gives an opaque appearance to the gas plume. It is essential is such cases that in
addition to the coarse particles, the finer particles should also be collected. The
particles that are normally encountered are smaller than 3 microns in diameter and can
also be in the submicron range. It is evident that the diffusional deposition mode will
ply the dominant role in the capture of these particles.

The unit therefore consists of a fine filtration media packed between a pair of
concentric screens. In many cases, a special treatment imparts a hydrophobic properly
to the fibre to enhance collection efficiencies. Coarse mist particles are removed by
impaction and direct interception. Fine particles are whisked away through diffusional
deposition. These particles coalesce into a film which is forced by gas flow
downstream the fibre bed (Fig.3). The collected liquid then flows by gravity into the
drain. Use of fibre beds has resulted in high particle collection efficiencies of up to
100% for particles larger than 0.5 microns with pressure drop of 50-400 mm water.
Mist Eliminators using glass and synthetic fibres with screens of various plastics and
metals are finding increasing use in the collection of fine mists in sulphuric acid
plants, chlorine plants, etc.
Other Considerations
Solid particles, contaminating the gas stream will be collected with the liquid by the
mist eliminator. The solids have a tendency to plug the mist eliminators and the
ability to handle solids is dependent on the open area of the device. Chevrons and
cyclones have the greatest ability to handle solids, while the dense fibre beds lug very
easily.

Pressure drop, an important consideration for many processes is also a direct function
of the area of the mist eliminator. The one exception to this is the cyclone separator,
which requires a large velocity head to create the centrifugal force. As expected, a
large pressure drop has to be expended to capture fine particles (as in fibre beds) than
for coarse particles (in chevrons).

Selection Procedure
Based on the above discussions, a simple selection procedure can be obtained which
will be applicable for a majority of applications.

The tendency amongst users is to demand the highest possible collection efficiency
and the lowest pressure drop for a given application. Obviously, there is no single
design of mist eliminator that will offer the optimum in collection efficiency, pressure
drop and resistance to plugging for all applications. The selection is therefore, a
compromise between capital and operating costs along with specific performance
characteristics.

A mist eliminator decision tree is indicated in Fig. 4 as a guideline.

While the above discussions should serve to clarify the selection process, it would be
advisable to make the final choice only after a review by an equipment manufacturer
of proven expertise.

About the Author:

*Mr. Mukesh C. Khagram is the Director of Evergreen Technologies Pvt. Ltd. A

graduate in chemical engineering from UDCT, Bombay, he did his post graduation
from State University of New York, Buffalo. His responsibilities range from the
development to commissioning of mist eliminators.

Note : This paper was originally published in Chemical Products Finder, September,
1989 issue .
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