Extraction of propionic acid from water in T-shaped microchannels: effect of mixing channel length and flow rate

In this research, T- shaped microchannels have been utilized for extraction of propionic acid from water using 1-octanol solvent. Effects of mixing channel length and fluid flow rate on the mass transfer characteristics between two phases were investigated. Experiments were performed in four microchannels with ýlengths of 10, 20, 30 and 40 cm at flow ratesý between 2 and 16 mL/min. Effect of increasing channel length on the overall mass transfer coefficient, extraction ýefficiency and pressure drop ýwas studied. Results showed that increasing mixing channel length enhances the mass transfer but it also increases the pressure drop in microchannels. In this regard, performance ratio criterion was defined which its value increased by increasing mixing channel length up to 30 cm and after that decreased. This research suggests that the use of continuous microfluidic systems for extraction of propionic acid from water can be a suitable replacement for conventional batch systems.