Abstract: A laser capillary spectrophotometric technique measures real time or near real time bivariate drop size and concentration distribution for a reactive liquid-liquid dispersion system. The dispersion is drawn into a precision-bore glass capillary and an appropriate light source is used to distinguish the aqueous phase from slugs of the organic phase at two points along the capillary whose separation is precisely known. The suction velocity is measured, as is the length of each slug from which the drop free diameter is calculated. For each drop, the absorptivity at a given wavelength is related to the molar concentration of a solute of interest, and the concentration of given drops of the organic phase is derived from pulse heights of the detected light. This technique permits on-line monitoring and control of liquid-liquid dispersion processes.

Abstract: The fractional volumetric holdup .phi. of a dispersed phase in a two liquid dispersed phase system in a reactor is determined by measuring the travel time of ultrasonic pulses on a fixed path for the dispersed phase, and for the two liquids separately, and calcualted according to the relation ##EQU1## where C*, C.sub.1, and C.sub.2 are the sound velocities in the dispersed phase, the first liquid, and the second liquid. The pulses can be transmitted from a transmitter transducer straight through the contents of the reactor to a receive transducer, or can be reflected off a die or similar flat faced member back to the originating transducer. A sonic velocimeter is disposed along the reactor and draws out a quantity of the two-liquid system, and separates it into the first and second liquids. The sound velocity of each liquid is measured with ultrasonic transducers, and the dispersed phase holdup .phi. is calculated based on these measured velocities.

Abstract: The fractional volumetric holdup .phi. of a dispersed phase in a two liquid dispersed phase system is determined by measuring the travel time of ultrasonic pulses on a fixed path for the dispersed phase, and for the two liquids separately, and caluclated according to the relation.phi.=t*-t.sub.1 /t.sub.2 -t.sub.1where t*, t.sub.1, and t.sub.2 are the ultrasonic pulse travel times through the dispersed phase, the first liquid, and the second liquid. The pulses can be transmitted from a transmitter transducer straight through the contents of a reactor to a receive transducer, or can be reflected off a die or similar flat faced member back to the originating transducer.

Abstract: A liquid-liquid contactor comprised of a jet of fluid 1 flowing through a coaxial, cocurrently flowing stream of fluid 2 (fluid 1 and fluid 2 being immiscible), with one or both of the fluids being continuously recycled. This device is used as a scientific instrument to measure the rate of interphase transfer of material dissolved in or comprising one of the fluids. The device can also be employed to acquire data on chemical reactions occurring at the interface between the two fluids, in a film adjacent to the interface, or throughout the volume of one or both of the fluids.