2023 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Absorption is one of the most widely used industrial methods for purification of high-volume gas streams. Therefore, the availability of absorption equipment in a teaching lab can help chemical engineering students better understand both the fundamentals and practical applicability of mass transfer principles. A small-scale absorption column was designed and built for our unit operations teaching lab to absorb carbon dioxide from an air stream with a dilute sodium hydroxide solution. The packing support, liquid outlet valve, and liquid flow distributor were selected and tested to promote smooth flow and good distribution. The flooding and absorption performance of the column were found to be in good agreement with literature. Guidelines for the construction of this column can help others build similar equipment for their teaching or research labs.