The effect of gravity on the rate of a simple neutralisation reaction in a small, open cylindrical vessel
Abstract
We have examined the local and global evolution of the extent of neutralisation in an upright cylindrical flow reactor with a rigid adiabatic base and sidewall but with an open top. The cylinder is initially filled with a dilute aqueous solution of a strong base or a strong acid. A dilute solution of strong acid or strong base is injected as a steady Poiseuille flow towards the centre of the base of the reactor through a large capillary tube coaxial with the cylindrical reactor. Computational fluid dynamics modelling, using the finite-volume method, indicates that each neutralisation reaction progresses at a significantly different rate under conditions of normal terrestrial gravity and microgravity. The gravitational dependence of the conversion of acid or base to salt and