Chapter 6:Lecture 1

Gas Absorption
Topic cover:
- Absorption and Stripping Equipment
- General Design Considerations

Objectives:
1.  To identify the difference between
absorption and stripping

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 Recall
Mass transfer operations = separation
process usually involving 2 phases,
bring 2 phases together, allow Examples of separation methods
transfer to take place until commonly used in Chemical
equilibrium is achieved, separate Engineering
phases Separation Separating Industrial
Operation Agent Example
Recall that: Absorption Liquid absorbent Removal CO2
• - Operating line: composition of from
combustion
passing streams products
• - Equil. line: streams leaving a Stripping Stripping vapour Light ends
stage at equilibrium removal
after crude
distillation
Also note:
Flash Pressure Recovery of
 When transfer of material occurs vaporizatio reduction water from
from liquid to gas (e.g., distillation, n sea water
stripping) the operating line is
below the equilibrium line. Distillation Heat transfer Benzene-toluene
mixture
 In absorption, the operating line is separation
above the equil. line, because the
solute is being transferred from gas Liquid-liquid Liquid solvent Recovery of
to liquid (opposite direction than extraction aromatics
that in distillation).
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 Absorption and Stripping of Dilute Mixtures

• In absorption a gas mixture is contacted with a liquid to

selectively dissolve one or more components by mass
transfer from the gas to the liquid.
• The opposite of absorption operation is the desorption or
stripping.
• Absorption and stripping are common methods to:
a) remove of impurities from gas (absorption) or
b) remove of impurities from a liquid (stripping). This is
done by flowing a liquid absorbent countercurrent to a
vapor mixture (absorption) or a vapor stripper
countercurrent to a liquid mixture (stripping).

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 Absorption Stripping
L0 (absorbent) V1 LN+1 (liquid to be separated) VN

1 N
2 N–1

N–1 2
N 1
VN+1 (vapor to be
LN L1 V0 (stripper)
separated)

Liquid absorbent absorbs Vapor stripping agent

certain components of preferentially vaporizes
the vapor stream certain components of the
preferentially. liquid stream.

Although the arrows are drawn to indicate the mass transfer of species
in absorption and stripping, generally mass transfer of components from
the absorbent or stripping streams will occur in the opposite direction as
well.
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• We will see procedures (graphical and
algebraic) to calculate:
– The equilibrium
– The absorption rate
for physical absorption and stripping of
mainly dilute mixtures.

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 Generally, if the absorption factor A=L/KV is greater than 1 for a component, then any degree of
separation can be achieved. The larger A is the fewer stages (or trays) are required to achieve a given
level of separation, although the absorbent flow rate may become too large.

For the absorption process considered in

example, notice that the exiting vapor stream
Typical Absorption Process has had almost all of the most volatile species
Absorbent oil 90F Lean gas removed and transferred into the absorbent
L0 lbmol/hr stream. The amounts
V1 lbmol/hr
n-butane 0.05
1 Methane 155.0 of each component left in each stream was
n-pentane 0.78 Ethane 323.5 determined using the group method.
Oil 164.17 2 Propane 155.4
L0=165.00 n-butane 3.02
n-pentane 0.28
V1 =637.3
Notice almost all of the methane
6 remains in the vapor
stream.
LN lbmol/hr VN+1 lbmol/hr
Methane 5.0 Methane 160.0 Notice almost all of the n-pentane was
Ethane 46.5 Ethane 370.0
Propane 240.0 transferred to
Propane 84.6 n-butane 25.0 the absorbent stream.
n-butane 22.0 n-pentane 5.0
n-pentane 5.5 LN=800.0
LN=327.7

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 Absorption and Stripping Equipment
Trayed Tower Packed Column Spray Tower
Liquid in Vapor out Liquid in Vapor out Vapor out
Liquid in

1
2

N–1
N

Vapor in Liquid out Vapor in Liquid out Vapor in

Bubble Column
Liquid in Vapor out Centrifugal Contactor
Vapor out Liquid in

Vapor in

Liquid out
Liquid out Vapor in
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General Design Considerations
Specifications:
1. Entering gas or liquid flow rate, composition, temperature and pressure
2. Degree of separation desired
3. Choice of absorbent (or stripping) agent
4. Operating pressure and temperature and allowable pressure drop
5. Minimum absorbent (or stripping) flow rate
6. Number of equilibrium stages
7. Heat effects and need for cooling
8. Type of absorber (stripper) equipment
9. Height of absorber (stripper)
10. Diameter of absorber (stripper)

Absorbent should:
1. Have a high degree of solubility for the solute (minimizes absorbent required)
2. Have low volatility (increases solute recovery and reduces absorbent loss)
3. Be stable (reduces need to replace absorbent)
4. Be noncorrosive (reduces need for corrosion resistant equipment)
5. Have low viscosity (reduces pressure drop and pump requirements, increase mass
flow)
6. Be nonfoaming when in gas contact (reduces size of equipment)
7. Be nontoxic and nonflammable (safety)
8. Be available from the process (reduces cost, reduces need for external source)
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The most widely used absorbents are:
– water
– hydrocarbon oils
– and aqueous solutions of acids and bases
The most common stripping agents are:
– water vapor
– air
– inert gases
– and hydrocarbon gases.

For an absorber (in general)

• Operating pressure should be high and temperature low
• to minimize stage requirements and/or absorbent flow rate and
• to lower the equipment volume required to accommodate the gas flow.

However:
• both compression and refrigeration of a gas are expensive.

Then:
• the most absorbers are operated at feed-gas pressure, which may be
greater than ambient pressure and ambient temperature.
• which can be achieved by cooling the feed gas and absorbent with cooling
water, unless one or both streams already exists at a sub-ambient
temperature.

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For a stripper (in general)
• Operating pressure should be low and temperature high
• to minimize stage requirements and/or stripper agent flow rate.

However:
• Maintenance of a vacuum is expensive.

Then:
• Commonly stripper are operated at a pressure just above ambient pressure
and ambient temperature
– A high temperature can be used, but it should be not so high as to cause
undesirable chemical reactions.
– Operating temperature and pressure must be compatible with the
necessary phase conditions of the streams being contacted.

For instance:
– an absorber should not be operated at a pressure and/or temperature
that would condensed the feed gas, and
– a stripper should not be operated at a pressure and/or temperature
that would vaporized the feed liquid.

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