A study was made of the performance of an orifice plate pulse column which is essentially a spray column containing internal constrictions in the form of orifices. The chemical system studied was acetic acid-waterhexone, and the variables considered were pulse frequency, throughput, phase continuity, and direction of solute transfer. For comparison purposes, several runs were made with a conventional spray column. Curves are presented showing the effect of the column variables on the column efficiency (HTU). The trends observed are explained as being due principally to the competing effects of the area for mass transfer and back-mixing. Photographs of a typical column section show qualitatively the effect of the important column variables. (auth)