Mass transfer and its applications

Lecture 10 – Intro to mass transfer (recap MT basics)

Treybal, R. E. Mass -Transfer Operations, 3rd Edn. McGraw-Hill 1955, Chapters
Chapters 1-2

Mass transfer is transfer on a molecular scale of one substance through another substance.
Mass transfer can occur through a single phase, or between phases.

Examples
Distillation
Liquid-liquid extraction
Gas-liquid extraction
Gas adsorption
Humidification, drying

Four major design factors for mass transfer operations:

1. Number of equilibrium stages, or equivalent stages
Consider the equilibrium characteristics of the system (data)
Material-balance calculations required
2. Time requirement
Stagewise operations: efficiency intimately related to time
Continuous-contact: time required
volume/length device
Equilibrium establishes the ultimate concentrations possible, rate of mass transfer depends on how
far from equilibrium you operate and physical properties of the phases (gas, liquid, solid)
3. Permissible flow rate
Helps decide if semibatch or steady-state operation
Fluid dynamics (eg. ΔP) establish permissible flow rate
4. Energy requirements
Heat required to create ΔT or create new phase (Vaporisation)
Mechanical energy for compression, pumping etc.
Steady-state diffusion (1)
For mixture of two gases A and B assumed to be ideal we can
apply Ficks’s 1st law of steady state diffusion

dC A
N Ad = − DAB
dz
We can write a similar equation for B:
dCB
N Bd = − DBA
dz
DBA is diffusivity of B in A
12

Diffusion in binary gas mixture (2)

dC A But, Fick’s law has mole concentration term.
N Ad = − D not partial pressures, or mole fraction (yA , yB)
dz

Further manipulations with concentration units:

nA m Mass conc.
pA = RT = C A RT = A RT Eg. g/L
V MA
nB m
pB = RT = CB RT = B RT Eq. D3
V MB
n
p= RT = CT RT Mole conc.
Eg. mole/L
V 1
Diffusion in binary gas mixture (3)
Dalton’s Law of partial pressure states:
m m 
p = p A + pB = RT (C A + CB ) = RT  A + B 
MA MB 
and
CT = C A + CB
1 = y A + yB
So for system with constant pressure and constant
molar concentration CT:
dp A dp dm A dm M
=− B =− B A
dz dz dz dz M B
dC A dC dy A dy
=− B =− B
dz dz dz dz 17

Diffusion in binary gas mixture (4)

dC A
Substitute back into Eq. D1 (Fick’s law): N Ad = − D
dz
D dp A
N Ad = −
RT dz
dy
= − DCT A
dz
Similarly, for component B you could show:

dy B dy
N Bd = − DCT = + DCT A
dz dz
18
Diffusion transfer alone is slow. Note the magnitude of the diffusivity constants.