Absorption of Gases

Chapter 12
Coulson & Richardson’s
Chemical Engineering
Vol.2, Fifth Edition
Contents
 Process description
 Equilibrium conditions
 Mechanism of absorption
 Wetted wall column
 Packed column
 Spray towers
 Plate towers
 Vessels with agitation
 Centrifugal absorbers
 Exothermic absorption
Process description
 Definition:Removal of one or more selected
components (SOLUTE) from a mixture of
gases gases by absorption into a suitable
liquid (SOLVENT)
 2nd major operation of chemical engineering
 Examples:
 removal
of CO2 from Syn gas
 Removal of SOx and NOx from flue gases
General scheme

Pur Solut
e e gas
gas
solve
nt
Absorpti Recover
on in a y in a
contacto contacto
r- r-
Fee
Absorbe Stripper
d r
gas
 Difference in
Theory partial pressure
makes the
difference
 Conditions of equilibrium
 Solubility of gas is not substantially affected by
pressure
 Solubility decreases with temperature

 Absorption may involve evolution of heat

 Low temperatures favors absorption

 For low conc. Of gases and over wide range of

some gases, Henry’s law holds

PA = HC A
Mechanism of absorption

Liquid film boundary

• proposed by

CA
PA
liquid
WHITMAN film
PAG

Gas film boundary

•Resistance to mass
PAi
transfer lies within
the gas and liquid CAi
films (Two films CAL
Gas
only) film
• concentrations at
the interface are in interfa
equilibrium ce
• there is
instantaneous
transfer at the
Mechanism of Gas Absorption
 Diffusion through a stagnant gas
A diffuses A diffuses A enters
through through stagnant the bulk of
stagnant gas liquid film the liquid
film

 Stefan’s law applies CT dC A

N = − DV
'
A
C B dz
 Integration over whole thickness zG CT C B 2
N = DV
'
A ln
zG C B1
P  PB 2 − PB1  P PB 2
N = DV
'
A   N = DV
'
ln
RTz G  P Bm  A
RTzG PB1
 Hence the rate of
 PA1 − PA 2 
absorption of A per unit time N = k P
'
A
'
G 
per unit area is  PBm 

 OR N = kG [ PA1 − PA 2 ]
'
A

 Where DV DV P
k =
'
G , kG =
RTzG RTzG PBm

In most cases the film thickness is not known, therefore, kG is used more
frequently as a measure of rate of gas absorption per unit area per unit partial
pressure diference
Diffusion in the Liquid phase
 Diffusion in liquids is
slow dCA
 No theoretical basis N = − DL
'
A
available for rate of dz
diffusion comparable  C A2 − C A1 
to kinetic theory of N A = − DL 
'

gases: the basic eq.
Is
 zL 
 For unknown film

N = k L [ C A1 − C A2 ]
thickness '
A
 Rate of Absorption
 At steady state
Rate of mass transfer Rate of mass transfer
= through liquid film
through gas film Slope of the

N A' = kG [ PAG − PAi ] N A' = k L [ C Ai − C AL ]

line=-kL/kG

A
kG C Ai − C AL PAG
D

PAG -PAi
Partial Pressure (PA)

k L PAG − PAi E
PAi B

F
PAe
CAi -CAL
CAL CAi CAe
Overall Mass Transfer Coefficients
 It is normally difficult N = K G ( PAG − PAe )
'
A
to have values of CAi N A' = K L ( C Ae − C AL )
or PAI, therefore, rate
of mass transfer is 1 1 Η
related to over all = +
K G kG k L
transfer coefficients
as; 1 1 1
= +
 When the equilibrium K L k L Η kG
line is nearly straight,
and Henreys law 1 Η
=
applies: KG K L
Rate of Absorption in terms of mole
fractions
 Forslope of the N =K
'
A
''
G ( y A − y Ae )
equilibrium line m N A' = K L'' ( x Ae − x A )
 M=(yAi-yAe)/(xAi-xA)
1 1 m
 The over all gas ''
= '' + ''
KG k G k L
coefficient is
Factors affecting the mass transfer
coefficient
 Verysoluble gas
 Almost insoluble gas
 Moderately soluble
gas D A
PAG

PAG -PAi
Partial Pressure (PA)

PAi E B

F
PAe
CAi -CAL
CAL CAi CAe
 Wetted Wall Column
Other
h d P
solvent D P Sc −0.44
D BM

s
hD d PBM hD d PBM
Sc −0.44 = B ' Re 0.83 Sc −0.44
200

DV P DV P
wate
hD d PBM
r
= B' Re 0.83 Sc −0.44
hD d PBM
DV P
= B ' Re 0.83 Sc −0.44
DV P
8

1000 Re
40000

0.56
hD PBM  µ 
  = B' Re −0.17 = jd
u P  ρDV 
Chilton &
Colburn
Coefficients in Packed Towers
 A: Gas Film Controlled Processes
Sh = β ( Re ) ( Sc )
a c

where
hD d p
Sh =
DG
G' d p
Re =
µ
µ
Sc =
ρDG
Coefficients in Packed Towers
 B: liquid Film Controlled Processes

0.50
kLa  L'   µ L 
= β   
DL  µ L   ρ L DL 

kLa

Fig. 12.7

L’
Equipment for Gas Absorption
 Wetted wall column
 we have discussed it already
 Packed Towers
 Plate Towers
 Vessels with Agitators
 Centrifugal Absorbers
 Spray Towers
 Centrifugal Spray Towers
Wetted wall column
 we have discussed it already
Equipment for Gas Absorption
Gas
out
 Packed Towers Liquid
in
Distributor
 25 mm-4.5 m diameter Hold-
down
 30 m or more height plate

 see more details on pages 213-232 of ref-1

Packed
bed
D C B
Y Y A
Pressure drop

Wet drained
te

Packing
ra

x x Gas support
packing
d

in
ui

te
liq

ra

Dry
gh

d
ui
Hi

packing
l iq

Liquid out
w
Lo

Gas velocity
Height of packed tower
 Gm: moles of inert gas/(unit
time)(unit cross-sectional
Gm Y 2 dY
kG aP ∫Y 1 Yi − Y
area) Z=
 Lm: moles of solute free
liquor/(unit time)(unit cross-
sectional area)
 Y: moles of solute gas
A/mole of inert gas B in gas
phase, Lm Y2 dX
 X: moles of solute A/mole Z=
k L aCT ∫
Y1 X − Xi
of inert solvent in liquid
phase,
Plate Towers for gas absorption
 Bubblecaps or sieve tray columns are
some times used when:
 Loads can not be handled in packed column of
1m diameter
 When deposition of solids may take place

 When involved heat effects are high

 Plate efficiency ranges 20-80 %

Vessels with agitators
A gas is bubbled
through a liquid along agitator
with agitation to
saturate the liquid with
the gas
 Absorption coefficient baffles
varied directly with Pv
for vaned-disc or flat-
paddle agitator
 KGa α us0.67 Gas
vanes
The centrifugal absorber
Liquid gas
 Repeated spray formation for Stationary
increased surface area rings
 A set of concentric rings intermeshes
with a second set of rings attached to
a rotating plate
 Liquid fed to the centeris carried up the
1st ring, splashes over to the baffle and
falls into the gap between the next
rings.
 It runs in a similar way passing from
ring to ring through the unit. Rotating
 The gas can be introduced at the top plate
( for co-current flow) or at the bottom liquid
( counter-current flow).
 Depth fo the ring is not important and
mass transfer takes place when liquid gas
spray is mixed with the gas
 See Fig 12.32 and Table 12.7 for
some experimental data on CO2
absorption.
 gas

Spray Towers
 Gas enters at the bottom and liquid
liquid is introduced at the top as
series of sprays
 Performance is poor because the
droplets tend to coalesce after
they have fallen through a few
meters
 Thus reducing interfacial area
 Resistance of equivalent liquid film
is high
 Therefore, these units are useful
when major resistance lies within
the gas film
 Used for absorbing Ammonia in
Water with moderate success
 Also used as humidifiers
gas

liquid
Centrifugal Spray Towers
Anti-spin
 Gas enters tangentially at valves
the bottom
Core
 Liquid is sprayed into the buster
gas stream from a spray disc
manifold
 Liquid drops are Gas
subjected to centrifugal inlet Liquid
force before they are spray
taken out of the gas manifold
 Centrifugal force tends to
reduce the resistance in
the liquid film
 One illustration of the
principle is shown here damper Liquid
inlet