This paper addresses an investigation of mass transfer issues associated with an innovative hybrid process to treat air streams containing chlorinated organics. Three target compounds [dichloromethane (DCM), carbon tetrachloride (CT) and tetra chloroethylene (PCE)] we re evaluated to assess a range of chemical and physical properties.

Vegetable oil was found to be an effective scrubbing solution in removing the target compounds from the air streams and was employed in continuous flow tests of a bench‐scale countercurrent packed co lumn. Removal efficiencies approached 90% for all three target compounds with gas‐liquid flow ratios less than 200.

A gas‐liquid mass transfer model was developed and compared to the existing Onda correlations, to characterize mass transfer under various operating conditions when water and vegetable oil were employed as scrubbing solutions. It was found that the Onda correlations did not fit the experimental data of vegetable oil very well. The existing Onda correlations we re modified by assuming that the gas phase resistance was controlling mass transfer.

In order to enhance mass transfer from the oil phase to an aqueous phase a liquid‐liquid contacting reactor was proposed. The results of the liquid‐liquid reactor suggested that mass transfer could be achieved for compounds that were not highly hydrophobic.