Fluidized beds are widely used in industries for mixing solid particles with liquids as the solid is vigorously agitated by the liquid passing through the bed and the mixing of the solid ensures that there are practically no temperature gradients in the bed even with exothermic or endothermic reactions (Mixing and the segregation in a liquid fluidized of particles with different sizes and densities", The Canadian Journal of Chemical Engineering, 1988). The violent motion of the solid particles also gives high heat transfer rates to the wall or to cooling tubes immersed in the bed. Because of the fluidity of the solid particles, it is easy to pass solid from one vessel to another. In the present experimental work, the relative density between solid and liquid phases on pressure drop under fluidized condition has been studied using the solid-liquid systems namely, glass beads-water, glass beads-kerosene, plastic beads-kerosene and diamond sugar-kerosene. Pressure drop - liquid velocity and void fraction - liquid velocity relationships have been found for all the mentioned solid-liquid systems under fluidized condition and results have been noted. The effect of the nature of the fluid on the minimum fluidization velocity and the pressure drop has been studied. In addition to the pressure drop studies, mass transfer studies have also been conducted with diamond sugar-water system with and without fluidization and results have been obtained. In addition to these, comparison of bed voidage, pressure drop and minimum fluidization velocity between denser and lighter liquids have been studied and the results have been obtained. Also, the value of rate of mass transfer with fluidization is compared that without fluidization for diamond sugar-water system and the results have been obtained.
