In leaching processes controlled by diffusion and convectional transport of mass, the hydrodynamic structure formed in the reactor's working volume is an additional factor affecting the process. This research work presents results related to hydrodynamic structures developing in batch reactors, different in shape, recorded by means of the particle image velocimetry (PIV) method. The movement of the distilled water and leaching solution was analyzed during investigations. Next, the system hydrodynamics and the process of tin leaching were analyzed. Finally, the leaching is affected by the reactor geometry and the hydrodynamic structure developed in its working volume, especially when a convectional or diffusion mass transport decides the process efficiency.
Keywords: Sn–NaOH system; hydrodynamics; leaching process; particle image velocimetry (PIV).