Definition Life cycle assessment (LCA), also called life cycle analysis, is a systematic method for evaluating the potential environmental impacts associated with a product, process, or service throughout its life cycle. The assessment may cover raw material extraction, production, transportation,…
Definition A hydrocyclone, also called a hydraulic cyclone, is a separation device that uses a swirling liquid flow to separate suspended solids or immiscible liquid phases according to differences in density and migration behavior within a centrifugal field. Unlike mechanically…
Definition A centrifugal separator is equipment that uses a rapidly rotating flow field or rotating bowl to separate heterogeneous mixtures containing phases with different densities. It is commonly applied to solid-liquid mixtures and immiscible liquid-liquid systems where gravity separation is…
Definition Phase separation is the process by which a homogeneous mixture separates into two or more physically distinct phases because the components are no longer stable as a single phase under the prevailing conditions. The resulting phases may be liquid-liquid,…
Definition Degassing, also called degasification, is a separation process used to remove dissolved gases, entrained air, or gas bubbles from liquids and process streams. In chemical processing, the term most commonly refers to the removal of non-condensable gases dissolved in…
Definition Stripping is a mass transfer process used to remove volatile components from a liquid by contacting the liquid with a gas or vapor. Steam, air, nitrogen, or another suitable stripping medium may be selected according to the properties of…
Definition Absorption is a mass transfer process in which one substance enters and becomes distributed within the bulk phase of another material. Depending on the phases involved, absorption may occur between gases and liquids, liquids and solids, or other contacting…
Definition An evaporator is industrial process equipment used to remove part of a volatile solvent from a liquid solution through evaporation. The primary objective is usually to concentrate the solution, recover solvent, reduce liquid volume, or prepare a concentrated stream…
Definition Evaporation is the vaporization of a solvent from the surface or bulk of a liquid solution. At a given temperature, molecules continuously escape from the liquid phase, and when more solvent molecules leave than return from the vapor phase,…
Definition Back mixing refers to the reverse movement of part of a fluid against the main flow direction inside continuous process equipment. It can occur in reactors, extraction towers, separation columns, and other systems because of turbulence, internal circulation, equipment…