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14 views13 pages

Wa0002.

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w2kmgfxpgv
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Mass transfer

Ghassan Elagib
Outlines:
• Introduction
• Molecular diffusion in gases
• Diffusion through a stationary, non-diffusing gas
• Molecular diffusion in liquids
• Mass transfer in turbulent and
• laminar flows
• Interfacial mass transfer
Introduction
• Mass transfer is conceptually and mathematically analogous to heat
transfer, as will be seen in the following exposition.
• Many processes are adopted so that a mixture of materials can be
separated into component parts. In some, purely mechanical means
are used.
• Solids may be separated from liquids by the arrest of the former in a
bed permeable to the fluid. This process is known as filtration. In
other examples, a difference in density of two phases permits
separation.
• This is found in sedimentation and centrifugation.
• In mass transfer operations, two immiscible phases are normally present, one or
both of which are fluid.
• In general, these phases are in relative motion and the rate at which a component
is transferred from one phase to the other is greatly influenced by the bulk
movement of the fluids.
• In most drying processes, for example, water vapor diffuses from a saturated layer
in contact with the drying surface into a turbulent airstream

• Many other processes, however, operate by a change in the composition of a


phase due to the diffusion of one component in another. Such processes are
known as diffusional or mass transfer processes.
• Distillation, dissolution, drying, and crystallization are examples of mass transfer
processes.
MOLECULAR DIFFUSION IN GASES

• Each compartment contains a pure gas, A or B. Random


movement of all molecules occurs so that after a period of
time, molecules are found quite remote from their original
positions.

• The rate of diffusion of A, NA, depends on the concentration


gradient and on the average velocity with which the molecules
of A move in the x direction. Fick’s law expresses this
relationship:
 Revise Fick’s law ??????
• Where, D is the diffusivity of A in B. NA is expressed as moles per
square meter per second. The units of diffusivity then become m2 s -1
• As with the basic equations of heat transfer, equation, indicates that
the rate of a process is directly proportional to a driving force, which,
in this context, is a concentration gradient.
Diffusion through a stationary, non-diffusing gas

• An important practical case arises when a gas A diffuses through a gas B, there
being no overall transport of gas B.
• It arises, for example, when a vapor formed at a drying surface diffuses into a
surrounding gas.
• At the liquid surface, the partial pressure of A is dictated by the temperature.
For water, it would be 12.8 mmHg at 298 K.
• Some distance away, the partial pressure is lower and the concentration
gradient causes diffusion of A away from the surface. Similarly, a concentration
gradient for B must exist, the concentration being lowest at the surface.
• There is, however, no overall transport of B, so diffusional movement must be
balanced by bulk flow away from the surface (the diffusional flow of A plus the
transfer of A associated with this bulk movement.)
Molecular diffusion in liquids

•
• Equations describing molecular diffusion in liquids are similar to
those applied to gases. The rate of diffusion of material A in a
liquid is given by equation:

• Fick’s law for steady-state, equi-molal counter-diffusion is then


• where CA2 and CA1 are the molar concentrations at points x2 and x1,
respectively.
• The use of these equations is, however, limited because diffusivity in a
liquid varies with concentration.
• In addition, unless the solutions are very dilute, the total molar
concentration varies from point to point. These complications do not
arise with diffusion in gases.

• Diffusivities in liquids are very much less than diffusivities in gases,


commonly by a factor of 104.
Mass transfer in turbulent and laminar flows

• If the concentration of a component, A, varies in a direction normal to the


streamlines, the molar rate of diffusion is given by Fick`s law equation.
• In the region of the boundary layer most distant from the surface, flow is turbulent
and mass transfer is the result of the interchange of large portions of the fluid. Mass
interchange is rapid and concentration gradients are low.
• As the surface is approached, a transition from turbulent flow to laminar flow
occurs in the transition or buffer region. In this region, mass is transferring by eddy
diffusion and molecular diffusion is of comparable magnitude.
• See Eddy diffusion??!!
Interfacial mass transfer

• So far, only diffusion in the boundary layers of a single phase has been
discussed. In practice, however, two phases are normally present, and
mass transfer across the interface must occur.
• On the molecular scale, however, the change from one phase to another
takes place over several molecular diameters.
• Due to the movement of molecules, this region is in a state of violent
change, the entire surface layer changing many times a second.
• Transfer of molecules at the actual interface is, therefore, virtually
instantaneous, and the two phases are at this point in equilibrium.
• Transfer of a component from one mixed phase to another, as described previously, occurs in
several processes.
• Liquid-liquid extraction, leaching, gas adsorption, and distillation are examples.
• In other processes, such as drying, crystallization, and dissolution, one phase may consist of
only one component. Concentration gradients are set up in one phase only with the
concentration at the interface given by the relevant equilibrium conditions:
• In drying, for example, a layer of air in equilibrium, (i.e., saturated with the liquid) is postulated
at the liquid surface, and mass transfer to a turbulent airstream is described by equation:

State out the equation parameters???!!


• Similarly, dissolution is described by the bellow equation, the interfacial
concentration being the saturation concentration.
• The rate of solution is determined by the difference between this
concentration, the concentration in the bulk solution, and the mass
transfer coefficient.

State out the equation parameters???!!

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