Biomedical and Chemical Engineering Instructor: Mather

Course: Fundamentals of Heat and Mass Transfer Spring Semester, 2011

Homework #7 April 5, 2011

Student Name:

Due April 12, 2011

1) Calculate the diffusion coefficient of water in air at T = 320 K and P = 1.8 x 105 Pa. Compare
with the experimental value reported in Appendix J, Table J.1.

2) Air is contained in a 30 m3 container at 400 K and 1 atm. Determine the following properties of
the mixture:
a. mole fraction of O2. e. mass density of N2.
b. volume fraction of O2. f. mass density of the air.
c. weight of the mixture. g. average molecular weight of the gas
d. mass density of O2. mixture.

3) Determine the diffusivity of n-hexane in air using (a) the Hirschfelder equation, and (b) the
Fuller-Shettler-Giddings equations. Compare the results and comment on any difference.

4) Highly purified tetrachlorosilane (SiCl4) gas is reacted with hydrogen gas to produce electronics-
grade polycrystalline silicon at 800 °C and 1.5 x 105 Pa according to the equation:

SiCl4(g) + 2H2 Æ Si(s) + 4HCl(g)

There are concerns that the reaction experiences diffusional limitations at the growing Si solid
surface. Estimate the molecular diffusion coefficient for: (a) SiCl4 in H2, and (b) SiCl4 in a gas-
phase mixture containing 40 mol-% H2 and 20 mol-% HCl. The Lennard-Jones parameters for
SiCl4 (species A) are εA/κ = 358 K and σA = 5.08 Å.

5) As part of a bioseparation process, glucose (solute A) in aqueous solution is diffusing across a

microporous membrane, as shown in the following figure.

dS,A = 0.86 nm

2 mm thick

3.0 nm
(many pores)
The thickness of the membrane is 2.0 mm and the pores running through the membrane consist of
parallel channels just 3.0 nm in diameter. The temperature is 30 °C. The mean diameter of a
single glucose molecule is 0.86 nm. Assume that the molecular diffusion coefficient of glucose in
water follows the Stokes-Einstein relationship. What is the effective diffusion coefficient, DA,z, of
glucose through the membrane? Describe how this value can be used to practical value in the
bioseparation process.