ABSTRACT
The flow of fluids through beds of solid particles appears in numerous technical processes. Filtration and flow operations through packed columns, used in distillation, absorption, adsorption, and ionic exchange processes, are examples of this type of circulation. In the case of filtration, the solid particles are deposited in a filter medium, and the fluid passes through the filtrating mass. In other processes, such as adsorption and ionic exchange, the fluid moves through a bed of solid particles that usually does not change its characteristics. The study of the flow of only one fluid phase through a column packed with stationary solid particles is presented in this chapter. A particle bed is considered stationary when none of its characteristics vary.
