10/29/2018

Mass Transfer
Asra Nafees

Course Learning Outcomes:

• CLO I

DEFINE introduce basic concepts, principles and theories of

mass transfer

• CLO II

APPLY the mass transfer principles to different equipments

• CLO III

DESIGN mass transfer equipments

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OBE SYSTEM

CLO PLO Mapping

POLYMER & PETROCHEMICAL DEPARTMENT

Course Learning Outcome and its mapping with Program

Learning Outcome

Course Title: Mass Transfer Course Code: PP-309

S.no Course Learning Outcomes Taxonomy Level PLO

DEFINE introduce basic concepts, principles and

C1 PLO 1
theories of mass transfer
1
APPLY the mass transfer principles to different
C3 PLO 3
equipments
2

DESIGN mass transfer equipments C5 PLO 2

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Course Outline
 Diffusion in mass transfer

• Mass transfer by Diffusion, mass transfer operations, applications & significance

• Fick’s law, diffusion in dilute and concentrated solutions, steady state molecular diffusion in binary mixtures of
gases, liquids and solids, Eddy diffusion, mass transfer in laminar flow, mass transfer in turbulent flow, Knudson
Diffusion
• Concept of resistance to mass transfer, coefficients of mass transfer and resistance
• Film mass transfer coefficients for the cases of equi-molar counter diffusion and diffusion of one component (A)
in stagnant component (B). Counter current mass transfer and concept of transfer units. Molecular diffusion in
solids, types of diffusion in solids.

 Theories and Correlations

• Convective mass transfer theories (Two film Theory, Penetration Theory, Surface Renewal Theory and Boundary
Layer Theory) ; Dimensional analysis in mass transfer (Schmidt, Sherwood, Stanton and Marshall numbers).
Correlations for mass transfer coefficients: Reynolds-Chilton -Colburn analogies.
• Convection and chemical reaction, diffusion of gases in porous solids and capillaries.

 Application

• Simultaneous mass and heat transfer, air-water system: humidification and dehumidification, evaporative
cooling, drying operations, cooling towers and dryers design and operation.

• Books:
• Coulson and Richardson, “ Chemical Engineering”.
Volume 1 - Fluid Flow, Heat Transfer and Mass
Transfer (6th Edition)

• Coulson and Richardson, “ Chemical Engineering”.

Volume 2 - Particle Technology and Separation
Processes (5th Edition)

• Dutta, B.K., “Principles of Mass transfer and

Separation Processes”. Prentice-Hall of India, New
Delhi, 2007.

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• Mass Transfer:

It is the transport of species from one point to another in

a single phase or from one phase to another generally in
the presence of difference in concentration or partial
pressure called the driving force.

• Example
• Separation of gas & liquid mixtures (solutions)

Mass transfer in two phase systems:

• Separation processes involve mass transfer from one phase to

another
• Two phase systems may be characterized by:

• Vapor liquid
Gas absorption
• Liquid liquid
Liquid liquid extraction
• Gas solid
Adsorption in a solid material
• Liquid solid
Leaching (process of extracting substances from a solid by
dissolving them in a liquid)

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Mechanism of Mass transfer

• Molecular Diffusion
• Eddy Diffusion

 Diffusion:
• movement of substances from an area of higher
concentration to an area of lower concentration
• it happens in liquids & gases because their molecules
move randomly from place to place

Molecular diffusion:

transport of molecules from higher concentration region

to a lower concentration in a stagnant medium occurs by
molecular diffusion.

 Eddy Diffusion:

transport of molecules from higher concentration region

to a lower concentration in a turbulent medium occurs
by turbulent/ eddy diffusion.

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Molecular Diffusion:

Rate of molecular diffusion can be increased by:

• increase temperature
increasing temperature results in increasing the
molecular motion therefore molecular diffusion will
increase

• decrease the pressure

decreasing pressure of the systems results in reduction
of the number of collisions which increases the mean
free path of the molecule & the rate of molecular
diffusion will be more.

Eddy diffusion is faster than

molecular diffusion

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Concentration is the driving force fro mass transfer

Concentration:
abundance of constituent per volume of mixture

• Mass Concentration:
mass per unit volume of the solution or mixture
ρi = mass concentration of specie i
ρ = total mass concentration
ρi / ρ = mass fraction of specie i in a solution

• Mole Concentration:
moles per unit volume of the solution or mixture
Ci = mole concentration of specie i
C =total molar concentration
Ci / C = mole fraction of specie i in a solution

• Velocity:

• Species move with different velocities in a gaseous mixture or

liquid solutions

Two types of average velocities with respect to stationary observer

• Mass average velocity

The mass averaged velocity of any mixture is the velocities of all
the species flowing together, taken with the consideration of
their masses

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• Molar average velocity

the mass averaged velocity of any mixture is
the velocities of all the species flowing together, taken
with the consideration of their moles

• Flux:
net rate at which a specie in a solution passes through a
unit area, which is normal to the direction of diffusion , in
unit time.
kg/m².s ,kmol/m².s or lbmol/ft².h

Frames of reference:

For expressing the flux of diffusing species three frame of

reference are commonly defined

There is always an observer who observes the velocity or flux

of the species in a mixture.

• For stationary frame of reference ( stationary with respect to

earth) the observer notes the velocity ui for the ith specie

• For the observer who is seated in a frame of reference with a

mass average -velocity u the observer notes the velocity ui -u for
the ith specie

• For the observer who is seated in a frame of reference with a

molar average velocity U the observer notes the velocity ui -U
for the ith specie

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Mass Flux

• relative to stationary observer ni = ρi ui

• relative to an observer moving with a mass average
velocity ii = ρi (ui –u )
• relative to an observer moving with a mole average
velocity ji = ρi (ui –U )

Molar Flux

• relative to stationary observer Ni = Ci ui

• relative to an observer moving with a mass average
velocity Ii = Ci (ui –u )
• relative to an observer moving with a mole average
velocity Ji = Ci (ui –U )

Example 2.1(B. K. Dutta)

A gas mixture N2 = 5%, H2 = 15 %,NH3 = 76 % and

Ar= 4%) flows through a pipe , 25.4 mm in diameter, at
4.05 bar total pressure.
If the velocities of the respective components are 0.03
m/s, 0.035 m/s, 0.03 m/s and 0.02 m/s.
Calculate the mass average , molar average & volume
average velocities of the mixture.

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Homework:

A gas mixture containing 65% NH3, 8% N2, 24% H2 and

3% Ar is flowing through a pipe 25 mm in diameter at a
total pressure of 4.0 atm.
The velocities of the components are as follows:
NH3 = 0.03 m/s, N2 = 0.03 m/s, H2 = 0.035 m/s and Ar =
0.02 m/s
Calculate the mass average velocity, the molar average
velocity and the volume average velocity of
the gas mixture.

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FICK’S LAW

for one-dimensional steady-state molecular diffusion,

the molar flux of a component in a frame of reference
moving with the molar average velocity is proportional
to the concentration gradient of the component.

Where,
JA = molar flux
dCA/dz = concentration gradient
DAB = proportionality constant/ Diffusion Coefficient /
Diffusivity

Similarities of Fick’s Law with Fourier’s Law of heat

conduction & Newton’s Law of Viscosity

Fourier’s Law of heat conduction:

q= - k dT/dz
Where q = heat flux
k = thermal conductivity(proportionality constant)
dT/dz = temperature gradient

Newton’s Law of Viscosity:

τ z x = - μ d u x / dz
τ z x = momentum flux
μ = Viscosity (proportionality constant)
d u x / dz= velocity gradient

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 Expression for molar flux in terms of diffusivity:

Fick’s Law
J A = - D AB dCA/ dz eqn (i)
Molar flux in a stationary frame of reference

J A = C A (uA - U) eqn (ii)

Molar average velocity
U= 1/C(CA uA + CB uB) eqn (iii)

• In stationary phase
NA = CA uA
NB = CB uB

• Putting values of NA & NB in above eqn (iii)

U= 1/C(NA + NB)

Comparing eqn (i) & (ii)

- D AB dCA/ dz = C A (uA - U)
Puttting the value of U in above eqn
- D AB dCA/ dz = C A uA - C A U

- D AB dCA/ dz = N A - C A /C ( NA + NB)
N A = C A /C ( NA + NB) - D AB dCA/ dz
Molar Flux of A in terms of stationary observer

• If CA is very small (dilute solution) then contribution of

bulk flow can be neglected.

• NA = J A = - D AB dCA/ dz

Bulk Flow – most of the fluid is moving

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Diffusing molecules move at a velocity greater than

the molar average velocity
Diffusion Velocity:
relative velocity of an observer moving with a molar
average velocity U is called diffusion velocity
V A = u A – U =J A /CA = - D AB /CA dCA/ dz

For gas phase Diffusion:

use partial pressure instead of concentration gradient
N A = P A /P ( NA + NB) - D AB / RT dPA/ dz

In terms of mole fraction:

N A = yA ( NA + NB) - D AB C dyA / dz

For an ideal gas mixture mutual diffusivities are

equal

Adding equations for A & B

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