Mass Transfer Operation Basics

MASS TRANSFER OPERATION
BASICS
Chemical Engineering???
It is combination of CHEMISTRY / MATHS / PHYSICS to design

complex operations of chemical manufacturing
1880 George proposed society of Chemical Engg in England
1888 MIT began 4 yrs course of Chemical Engg
1908 AIChE found
1915 Unit Operations Concept proposed by Arthur Little
What is Unit Operations?? What is unit Processes
Mass Transfer is Unit Operations?? (Yes / No)

Unit Operations examples
•Metal extraction from ore
•Extraction of perfume from plants
•Liquor distillation from plants
Unit Operations in our Body

•Oxygen absorption in blood from Air
•Carbon removal from blood
•Separation of Urea / waste fro blood in kidney
•Removal of contaminants in liver
House hold Examples

•Making of Tea / coffee
•Evaporation
•Dissolution of sugar & salt
Mass transfer :
1.Change in compositions / concentrations of solution called mass
transfer
2.Movement of mass from high concentration to low concentration
3.Movement from highly crowded area to low crowded area
These all things happens at molecule level
Humans also do same thing moving from highly crowded are to less
crowded area for breathing space.

Nature does movement from high
concentration / highly crowded to less
concentration / less crowded is basis of Mass
Transfer Operation
Example
1.What happens when perfume sprayed in one corner of room?
2.How do the clothes become dry?
3.How do we get taste of tea / coffee?

Molecular Diffusion
Molecular transport called molecular diffusion
Movement of individual molecules from high concentration region to

lower concentration region accomplished by actual migration of
molecules.
What happen to the molecules when valve is opened??
Dissolution of sugar in milk / water?? Where do sugar go??

Molecular Diffusion
All diffusion process follows Fick’s Law
JAZ = - DAB (∂CA/ ∂Z)

JAZ = Molecular Flux of A in Z direction [(Mole) / (Area) (Sec)]
DAB = Molecular Diffusivity of A in B
∂CA = Concentration difference
- ve sign indicates diffusion happens in direction of decreasing concentration
Molecular Diffusivity is equivalent to kinematic viscosity and

thermal diffusivity
Why Mass transfer operation:

Any chemical process requires :
1) Purification of raw material.
2) Separation of product from byproduct.
Mechanism of Separation
Mixing: Natural Process / Artificial Process
Accomplished by increase in entropy
Entropy is measure of randomness
Second Law of thermodynamics followed every where
Separation: Unmixing / isolating required products

1) Economically
2) Feasibly
3) Without harming environment
Separation to happen we need

1) Separating Agents :
Energy Input (Heat, Pressure, Electricity, Kinetic Energy, Potential Energy)
Energy Removal (Cooling / Freezing)
Matters (filter / Membranes etc)
2) Driving Force:
Concentration difference (∆C)
Pressure difference (∆P)
Temperature difference (∆T)
Chemical Potential (µ)
Classification of Mass Transfer Operations
Gas-Liquid Operations Gas-Solid Operations
Distillation Sublimation
Absorption Drying
Desorption Adsorption.
Humidification. Liquid – Solid Operations

Crystallization
Dehumidification
Liquid -liquid Operations
Extraction
Thumb Rule For Choosing Mass Transfer Operation
First Choice : Exploit vapor liquid equilibrium (VLE) choose Distillation Process
Distillation is energy efficient / simple to design / simple to build & Operate
Difference in boiling point between component (∆T b)
∆Tb > 100 0C use Single stage distillation operation
10 0C > ∆Tb > 100 0C use Multi stage distillation operation
∆Tb <10 0C Don’t use distillation operation, large nos. of stages required.
∆Tb > 200 0C avoid using distillation, decomposition or cracking starts

Second Choice : If vapor liquid equilibrium (VLE) not promising choose liq – liq extraction
Solubility in different solvent id key property
Only physical interacting solvent (No Hydrogen bonding) & Cohesive energy
density (Solubility parameter) is important here, Solubility parameter of one component
within 3 and another component more than 3.
Third Choice: If LLE is not promising use membrane separation process
Distillation
•Liquid – Liquid Separation operation
•Driving Force ???
•Oldest method of separation
•Called fractionation / fractional distillation
•It is equilibrium stage operation – Vapor is in equilibrium with liquid
What is equilibrium??
•No net transfer

Partial Pressure
•pA
Vapor Pressure
•PA0
Mole Fraction of component A in Liquid mixture
•xA
Mole Fraction of component A in Vapor mixture
•yA
Types of Systems
•Ideal = Ideal Solution follow Roult’s Law
•Non Idea = Non ideal Solution follow Henry’s Law
Roult’s Law pA = PA0 * xA at constant Temperature
Ideal solution : Intermolecular forces of attraction & repulsion remain unchanged on mixing pure liquid
Volume of solution vary linearly with compositions
No heat of mixing
Vapor pressure of solution vary linearly with composition

Temperature Effect on Vapor
Pressure
Applied Pressure Effect on Boiling Point

Typical Distillation Column
Where to locate feed? On which tray

No of stages / trays
•No of stages required for desired separation depends upon quantity
of liquid & vapor in rectifying and striping section
•Depends on reflux ratio
•No of stages required for desired separation also depends upon
condition of feed
• Quantity of liquid and vapor in rectifying and stripping
section change abruptly with addition of feed

Condition of feed
Reflux Ratio
• Reflux is liquid return to the top of distillation column (L)
• Why it is to be done??
• Distillate is liquid withdrawn from distillation column (D)
Effect of High Reflux Ratio
• Amount of liquid returning to top of the column ??
• Heat requirement for heating to convert to vapor ??
• Reboiler duty ??
• Condenser cooling capacity ??
• Purity of more volatile component in vapor leaving column ??
• No of theoretical stages required ??
• Fixed cost ??
• Operating cost ??
• Total cost ??
Effect of Less Reflux Ratio
• Amount of liquid returning to top of the column ??
• Heat requirement for heating to convert to vapor ??
• Reboiler duty ??
• Condenser cooling capacity ??
• Purity of more volatile component in vapor leaving column ??
• No of theoretical stages required ??
• Fixed cost ??
• Operating Cost ??
• Total cost ??
Optimum Reflux Ratio
• Total cost = Fixed cost + Operating Cost
• Min Reflux Ratio: Minimum Operating cost & High fixed cost
• High Reflux Ratio : High Operating cost & Less fixed cost
Optimum Reflux ration (R) is 1.2 to 1.5 times of Min Reflux Ratio (Rmin)
Contacting Devices
Contacting devices are for providing intimate contact of two
fluids to permit diffusion of constituents
Types of contacting devices
•Tray Type
•Packed Type
Selection of Contacting devices

• Vapor handling capacity.
• Liquid handling capacity.
• Mass transfer efficiency.
• Flexibility for wide range of operation.
• Pressure drop.
• Cost
Flooding
•Liquid rate is too high & liquid leaving from down comers less
•Liquid hold up on tray & create high load on tray
•Liquid fill entire space between trays called tower flooded
•Tray efficiency falls
•Some times due to high rate of gas, liquid forced to flow out from
top pipe
•Foaming tendency of the liquid influence the flooding
Coning
•Liquid rate is too low
•Gas rate is relatively higher
•Gas rising through opening of tray and pushing liquid away from
opening of tray
Contact of liquid and gas is poor & Reduced efficiency
Weeping
•Gas rate too low
•Liquid rain down from opening of trays
•Contact is very low
Dumping
•Very very low gas rate
•Liquid not reaching to down comers and dumping down to next tray
Entrainment / Priming
•Gas rate is very very high
•Mist & Liquid particle carry up to the above tray
•Less contact of liquid and gas
•Efficiency drops
Parameter Bubble cap Sieve tray
Higher than bubble cap at design, At
Capacity Moderately high low throughput performance drops as
efficiency falls.
As high as bubble cap in the region of

design, falls to unacceptable value
Efficiency High
when capacity reduces < 60%
Entrainment Three times that of sieve tray 1/3 of bubble cap tray.
Most flexible design for high & Not suitable for column operating
low liquid rate. Allows positive under variable load, falling < 60% of
Flexibility
drain of liquid from tray. Liquid design. Tray weeps liquid at low vapor
head is maintained by weir. rate
Can be closer than bubble cap due to

18 inch avg. 24 to 36 inch for improved entrainment
Tray spacing
Vacuum condition 15 inch average, 9,10,12 in acceptable
and 20,30 inch for vacuum.
Valve Tray
 Type of sieve tray
 30 – 40 mm diameter variable opening for gas flow
 Perforation covered with movable caps
At low gas rate corresponding opening will be very small

hence chance of weeping reduce
At high gas rate high opening hence gas pressure drop
remains less hence coning reduced
Factors to Consider When Selecting
High Performance Trays
 Capacity & Hydraulic Limitations
 Pressure Drop
 Efficiency
 Operating Range
 Resistance to Fouling
 Existing Column Configuration
 Equipment Cost / Installation Cost
Various High Capacity / High Performance
Trays available in the Market
Norton Triton Trays
Nutter MVG trays
Koch-Glitsch Nye Trays
Koch-Glitsch MaxFrac Trays
Koch – Glitsch Superfrac Trays
UOP E-MD trays
SHELL High capacity trays

Saint-Gobain Norpro High Capacity Triton™ Trays increase the capacity of
towers by increasing the area available for liquid / vapour contacting over
conventional tray designs.
General Characteristics
Trays : Usually made of sheet metals of special alloys. Thickness is

governed by corrosion rate. Trays must be stiffened & supported &
fastened to the shell to prevent movement owing to surge of gas, With
allowance for thermal expansion.
Tray spacing : It should be such that insurance against flooding &

excessive entrainment where tower height is important consideration.
For all except smallest dia. tower ,20 inch spacing is considered. For
small diameter tower spacing of 6 inch is considered.
Tower diameter.: Tower diameter should be sufficiently large to

handle the
gas & liquid rates within the region of satisfactory operation.
Weeping Flooding
Satisfactory
operation
Liquid rate
Dumping
Priming
Coning Excessive entrainment
Gas rate
(  L - G ) Tower dia can be decreased

Vf = Cf
L by use of increased tray
Spacing ,so that tower cost
Cf = Empirical constant which depends on height
& dia. passses through min.
Vf = Superficial gas velocity. at some optimum tray spacing.
Process Requirement of col. Internals.
A) Primary Requirement.
a) Efficiency
b) Capacity.
B) Secondary Requirement :
a) Low pressure drop.
b) Resistance to fouling.
c) Resistance to corrosion.
Type of internals :
Trays
Random packing.
Structured packing.
Random Packing
1st generation Rasching ring,saddles
2nd generation Pall ring
3rd generation Properietary packing
Features
1.More capacity or more efficiency than trays.
2.Low delta p than trays
3.Excellent revamp tool.
4.Easy installation
5.Sensitive to vapor liquid misdistribution.
6.Price higher than tray.
Structured Packing
Gempack (Glitch)
Flexipack ( Koch)
Mallapack (Sulzer)
Intalox (Norton)
Feature
1.More capacity & more efficiency than trays.
2.Very low pressure drop.
3.Sensitive to vapor liquid misdistribution.
4.High price.
THANK YOU

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MASS TRANSFER OPERATION

It is combination of CHEMISTRY / MATHS / PHYSICS to design

1880 George proposed society of Chemical Engg in England

1888 MIT began 4 yrs course of Chemical Engg

1908 AIChE found

1915 Unit Operations Concept proposed by Arthur Little

What is Unit Operations?? What is unit Processes

Mass Transfer is Unit Operations?? (Yes / No)

Unit Operations in our Body

House hold Examples

1.Change in compositions / concentrations of solution called mass

2.Movement of mass from high concentration to low concentration

3.Movement from highly crowded area to low crowded area

These all things happens at molecule level

crowded area for breathing space.

1.What happens when perfume sprayed in one corner of room?

2.How do the clothes become dry?

3.How do we get taste of tea / coffee?

Movement of individual molecules from high concentration region to

What happen to the molecules when valve is opened??

Dissolution of sugar in milk / water?? Where do sugar go??

JAZ = - DAB (∂CA/ ∂Z)

- ve sign indicates diffusion happens in direction of decreasing concentration

Molecular Diffusivity is equivalent to kinematic viscosity and

Why Mass transfer operation:

Separation: Unmixing / isolating required products

Separation to happen we need

Gas-Liquid Operations Gas-Solid Operations

Humidification. Liquid – Solid Operations

Liquid -liquid Operations

∆Tb > 100 0C use Single stage distillation operation

10 0C > ∆Tb > 100 0C use Multi stage distillation operation

∆Tb > 200 0C avoid using distillation, decomposition or cracking starts

•Liquid – Liquid Separation operation

•Driving Force ???

•Oldest method of separation

•Called fractionation / fractional distillation

•It is equilibrium stage operation – Vapor is in equilibrium with liquid

•No net transfer

Mole Fraction of component A in Liquid mixture

Mole Fraction of component A in Vapor mixture

•Non Idea = Non ideal Solution follow Henry’s Law

Roult’s Law pA = PA0 * xA at constant Temperature

Volume of solution vary linearly with compositions

Vapor pressure of solution vary linearly with composition

Applied Pressure Effect on Boiling Point

Where to locate feed? On which tray

•No of stages required for desired separation depends upon quantity

of liquid & vapor in rectifying and striping section

•Depends on reflux ratio

•No of stages required for desired separation also depends upon

• Quantity of liquid and vapor in rectifying and stripping

section change abruptly with addition of feed

• Amount of liquid returning to top of the column ??

• Heat requirement for heating to convert to vapor ??

• Condenser cooling capacity ??

• Purity of more volatile component in vapor leaving column ??

• No of theoretical stages required ??

• Heat requirement for heating to convert to vapor ??