Chapter 1: Mass Transfer

Chapter 1: Mass Transfer
Introduction to Mass Transfer

• Mass transfer: the transport of one constitute from a region
of higher concentration to that of lower concentration.
• Primary driving force: concentration difference
– When a system contains two or more component whose
concentration varies from point to point, there is a natural
tendency for mass to be transfer.
• Requires the presence of two regions at different chemical
composition and mass transfer refers to the moment of
chemical species present in the medium.
• Transfer of mass within a fluid mixture or across a phase
boundary is a process that plays a major role in many
industrial processes.
Example of mass transfer
• Liquid in an open pail of water of water
evaporates into still air
• Sugar added into a cup of coffee eventually
dissolve by itself and diffuses to the
surrounding solution
• Newly cut and moist green timber is exposed
to the atmosphere, the wood will dry partially
when water in the timber diffuse through the
wood to the surface, and then to atmosphere.
Gas absorption
unit
Other example
• Distillation to separate alcohol from water.
• Removal of SO2 from flue gas is done by
absorption in the basic liquid solution.
Fick’s Law for Molecular Diffusion
• Molecular diffusion = molecular transport
– The transfer or movement of individual molecules
through a fluid by means of random, individual
movements of the molecules.
• Molecules traveling only in straight lines and
changing direction by bouncing off other
molecules after collision.
• Random path travel=molecular
diffusion=random-walk process
Schematic diagram of molecular
diffusion process
• Figure shows a random path of molecules A
might take in diffusing through B molecules
from point ①→②.
• If there are greater number of A molecules
near point ① than at ②, then, since
molecules diffuse randomly in both
direction, more A molecules will diffuse
from ① to ②, than from ② to ①.
• Net diffusion of A is from high-to-low
concentration region.
Fick’s Law
c : total concentration of A
and B in kgmol A+B/m3
xA : mole fraction of A in the
mixture of A and B
DAB : molecular diffusivity,
m2/s (ft2/h, cm2/s)
J*AZ : molar flux vector of A
relative to molar average
velovity, kgmol/s.m2
(lbmol/h.ft2, gmol/s.cm2)
Fick’s Law for Molecular Diffusion
Example 1
A mixture of He and N2 gas is contained in a pipe
at 298K and 1 atm pressure which is constant
throughout. At one end of the pipe at point 1
the partial pressure PA1 of He is 0.6 atm and at
the other end 0.2 m (20 cm), PA2 = 0.2 atm.
Calculate the flux of He at steady state if DAB of
the He – N2 mixture is 0.687 x 10-4 m2/s (0.687
cm2/s). Use SI and cgs units.
Molecular Diffusion in Gas
Example 2
Ammonia gas (A) is diffusing through a uniform
tube 0.1 m long containing N2 gas (B) at
101.32kPa pressure and 298K. The diagram is
similar to that of in the previous slide. At point 1
PA1 = 1.013x104 Pa and at point 2, PA2 =
0.507x104 Pa. The diffusivity DAB = 0.23x10-4
m2/s
a) Calculate the flux JA* at steady state
b) Repeat for JB*
Molecular Diffusion in Liquid
• Very important in many industrial processes, especially in
separation operations (liquid-liquid extraction, gas adsorption,
distillation)
• Rate of molecular diffusion in liquid is slower than in gases.
• Molecules in a liquid are very close together compared to gas.
• Hence, the molecules of diffusing solute A will collide with
molecules of liquid B more often and diffuse more slowly than in
gases.
• In general, the diffusion coefficient in a gas will be on the order of
magnitude of about 105 times greater than in liquid.
• However, the flux in a gas is not that much greater, being only about
100 times faster, since the concentrations in liquids are considerably
higher than in gas.
Molecular Diffusion in Liquid (cont.)
Diffusion of A through nondiffusing B
- Solute A is diffusing, solvent B is stagnant or
nondiffusing.
- Example: dilute propionic acid (A) in a water (B)
solution being contacted with toluene.
- Only the propionic acid (A) diffuses through the
water phase, to the boundary, and then into the
toluene phase.
- The toluene-water interphase is a barrier to
diffusion of B and NB=0.
Example 3
An ethanol (A) –water (B) solution in the form of a
stagnant film 2.0mm thick at 293K is in constant at
one surface with an organic solvent in which
ethanol is soluble and water is insoluble. Hence,
NB= 0. At point 1 the concentration of ethanol is
16.8 wt% and the solution density is ρ1= 972.8
kg/m3. At point 2 the concentration of ethanol is
6.8 wt% and ρ2= 988.1 kg/m3 (P1). The diffusivity of
ethanol is 0.740 x 10-9 m2/s (T2). Calculate the
steady-state flux NA

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Chapter 1: Mass Transfer

Introduction to Mass Transfer

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