Oxygen transfer in ferric iron biological production in a packed-bed reactor

In this paper, oxygen transfer in the ferrous iron biooxidation process in a packed-bed reactor is studied. The reactor consists of a polymethyl methacrylate column randomly packed with siliceous stone particles with inlets for liquid medium and air at the bottom from where they flood the reactor. The aim of this work is to determine the parameters that influence the oxygen transfer from air bubbles to the liquid medium, and to characterize the oxygen transport through the bulk liquid medium.