Summary: Two Film Theory applied at steady-state

NA = kG(pAb – pAi) = kc (CAi – CAb ) = KG (pAb - pA*) = KL (CA* - CAb)

(52) (51) (59) (62)

pAi = HA CAi (53)

Gas Liquid
(60) film film
pAb = HA CA*

pA* = HA CAb (57) Liquid

pAb phase

1 HA 1 HA Gas pAi
= = + phase CAi
KG KL kp kc CAb
(58 and 61)
Prof. G.S.Nirmala 2020 1
Mass transport, NA
Summary equations with mole fractions

NA = ky (yAb – yAi) = kx (xAi – xAb ) = Ky (yAb - yA*) = Kx (xA* - xAb)

(63)
yAi = KA xAi (64)
Gas Liquid
yAb = KA xA* (65) film film

yA* = KA xAb (66) Liquid

yAb phase

1 KA 1 KA Gas yAi
= = + (67) phase xAi
Ky Kx ky kx xAb

Prof. G.S.Nirmala 2020 2

Mass transport, NA
Notations used:

xAb : liquid-phase mole fraction of A in the bulk liquid

yAb : gas-phase mole fraction of A in the bulk gas
xAi : liquid-phase mole fraction of A at the interface
yAi : gas-phase mole fraction of A at the interface
xA* : liquid-phase mole fraction of A which would have been in
equilibrium with yAb
yA* : gas-phase mole fraction of A which would have been in
equilibrium with xAb
kx : liquid-phase mass-transfer coefficient
ky : gas-phase mass-transfer coefficient
Kx : overall liquid-phase mass-transfer coefficient
Ky : overall gas-phase mass-transfer coefficient
Prof. G.S.Nirmala 2020 3
KA : vapour-liquid equilibrium ratio (or equilibrium distribution
Gas-liquid equilibrium ratio (KA) curve
yA

yAb yAb = KAxA*

yAi yAi = KA xAi

yA*
yA* = KA xAb

xAb xAi xA* xA

Prof. G.S.Nirmala 2020 4
Gas & Liquid-side Resistances in Interfacial Mass Transfer
1 1 H
= +
KG kp kc
fG = fraction of gas-side resistance
1/kG 1/kG kc
= = =
1/KG 1/kG + H/kc kc + H k G

1 1 1
= +
KL H kG kc

fL = fraction of liquid-side resistance

1/kc 1/kc kG
= = =
1/KL 1/HkG + 1/kc kG + kc/H
Prof. G.S.Nirmala 2020 5
Gas & Liquid-side Resistances in Interfacial Mass Transfer

If fG > fL, use the overall gas-side mass transfer

coefficient and the overall gas-side driving force.

If fL > fG use the overall liquid-side mass transfer

coefficient and the overall liquid-side driving force.

Prof. G.S.Nirmala 2020 6

 1 HA 1 HA
= = + (58 and 61)
KG KL kG kc

The above is also written with the following notations:

1 H 1 H
= = +
KOG KOL KG KL

Prof. G.S.Nirmala 2020 7

In an experiment study of the absorption of ammonia by
water in a wetted-wall column, the overall mass-transfer
coefficient, KG, was found to be 2.74 x 10-4
kgmol/m2.s.atm.
At one point in the column, the gas phase contained 10
mole% ammonia and the liquid-phase concentration was
0.064 kgmole ammonia/m3 of solution. The tower
operated at 293 K and 1.013x105 Pa. At that
temperautre, the Henry’s law constant is 9.35x10- 3
atm/(kgmol/m3).
If 85% of the total resistance to mass transfer is
encountered in the gas phase, determine the individual
film mass-transfer
Prof. G.S.Nirmala 2020 coefficients and the interfacial 8

compositions.
Other Driving Forces

Mass transfer is driven by concentration gradient as well as

by pressure gradient as we have just seen.

In pharmaceutical sciences, we also must consider mass

transfer driven by electric potential gradient (as in the
transport of ions) and temperature gradient.

Transport Processes in Pharmaceutical Systems (Drugs

and the Pharmaceutical Sciences, vol. 102), edited by G.L.
Amidon, P.I. Lee, and E.M. Topp (Nov 1999)

Encyclopedia of Pharmaceutical Technology (Hardcover)

by James Swarbrick (Author)

Prof. G.S.Nirmala 2020 9

Example 1
An exhaust stream from a containing 3 mole% acetone and
90 mole% air is fed to a mass transfer column in which the
acetone is stripped by a countercurrent, falling 293 K water
stream. The tower is operated at a total pressure of
1.013x105 Pa. If a combination of Raoult-Dalton equilibrium
relation may be used to determine the distribution of acetone
between the air and aqueous phases, determine
(a) The mole fraction of acetone within the aqueous phase
which would be in equilibrium with the 3 mole% acetone gas
mixture, and
(b) The mole fraction of acetone in the gas phase which
would be in equilibrium with 20 ppm acetone in the aqueous
phase.
Prof. G.S.Nirmala 2020 Example 1 worked out 10
Prof. G.S.Nirmala 2020 11
Example 2
The Henry’s law constant for oxygen dissolved in water is
4.06x109 Pa/(mole of oxygen per total mole of solution) at 293
K. Determine the solution concentration of oxygen in water
which is exposed to dry air at 1.013x105 Pa and 293 K.

Prof. G.S.Nirmala 2020 12

Example 2 worked out
Henry’s law can be expressed in terms of the mole fraction
units by
pA = H’ xA
where H’ is 4.06x109 Pa/(mol of oxygen/total mol of solution).
Dry air contains 21 mole percent oxygen. By Dalton’s law
pA = yA P = (0.21)(1.013x105 Pa)
= 2.13 x 104 Pa

Prof. G.S.Nirmala 2020 13

Prof. G.S.Nirmala 2020 14
Example 3
In an experiment study of the absorption of ammonia by
water in a wetted-wall column, the overall mass-transfer
coefficient, KG, was found to be 2.74 x 10-9 kgmol/m2.s.Pa.
At one point in the column, the gas phase contained 8 mole
% ammonia and the liquid-phase concentration was 0.064
kgmole ammonia/m3 of solution. The tower operated at 293 K
and 1.013x105 Pa. At that temperautre, the Henry’s law
constant is 1.358x103 Pa/(kgmol/m3).
If 85% of the total resistance to mass transfer is encountered
in the gas phase, determine the individual film mass-transfer
coefficients and the interfacial compositions.

Prof. G.S.Nirmala 2020 15

Example 3 worked out

Prof. G.S.Nirmala 2020 16

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Prof. G.S.Nirmala 2020 19
Example 4
A wastewater stream is introduced to the top of a mass-
transfer tower where it flows countercurrent to an air
stream. At one point in the tower, the wastewater stream
contains 10-3 mole A/m3 and the air is essentially free of
any A. At the operation conditions within the tower, the
film mass-transfer coefficients are KL = 5x10-4 kmole/m2.s.
(kmole/m3) and KG = 0.01 kmole/m2.s.atm. The
concentrations are in the henry’s law region where pA,i = H
CA,i with H =1 0 atm/(kmole/m3). Determine the following:
(a) The overall mass flux of A
(b) The overall mass-transfer coefficients, KOL and KOG.

Prof. G.S.Nirmala 2020 Example 4 worked out 20

Prof. G.S.Nirmala 2020 21
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Prof. G.S.Nirmala 2020 24
A packed, absorption tower was used to absorb compound A from a
gas mixture into a solvent B. At one point in the tower ,the partial
pressure of A in the gas stream was 0.15 atm and the concentration
of A in the contracting liquid stream was 9.9*10-4kg mol/m3 .The
mass transfer between the gas stream and the liquid stream at that
point in the tower was 4.00*10-5 Kgmole/m2hr .The individual gas
film transfer coefficient kG was found to be 4.00*10-4Kgmole/m2hr
atm. A laboratory experiment verified that the system satisfied
Henrys law and that the liquid composition was in equilibrium with
the partial pressure of 0.03atm
fill the values for the following table
Coefficient Driving force
kG= pAG-pAi=
kL= cA,i=cA,L=
KG= pAG-pA*=
KL= cA*-cA,L=
Prof. G.S.Nirmala 2020 25