1

Module 2 :
Diffusive heat and mass transfer

Lecture 17:
Gas Absorption with Chemical
Reaction

NPTEL,IITKharagpur,Prof.SaikatChakraborty,DepartmentofChemicalEngineering

1. Gas Absorption with Rapid Chemical Reaction (Moving Boundary

Problem)
Consider the case of a Gas A in contact with a liquid in a
container. The liquid contains solute B dissolved in solvent
S. The system is illustrated in Fig. 17.1 and the coordinate
system z has its origin at the gas-liquid interface. We make
the following assumptions for this system:

Fig.17.1. Gas absorption in solvent B

1. Quiescent liquid (no convective currents)

2. Instantaneous reaction A + B AB
3. Dilute solution
Find concentration profiles of A and B in liquid
Beacuase reaction is instantaneous, concentration of and A and B is zero at the reaction plane. A
and B cannot coexist. The applicable equation is

ci
+ (U ci ) = D 2 ci + Ri
t

(17.1)

Here U = 0 and R A =0
Therefore

NPTEL,IITKharagpur,Prof.SaikatChakraborty,DepartmentofChemicalEngineering

cA
2c
= DAs 2A
t
z
cB
2 cB
= DBs 2
t
z

0<z z' ( t )

z' ( t ) z <

(17.2)

For eqn. (17.2), no source term in mass balance has been considered and the reaction takes place
only at z=z (t).

Fig.17.5. Concept of moving reaction plane with time

The initial and boundary conditions are as follows:

NPTEL,IITKharagpur,Prof.SaikatChakraborty,DepartmentofChemicalEngineering

I.C.: At t = 0
B.C.: At z=0

C B =C B0

C A =C A0 ( saturation concentration )

z=z' ( t ) CA =0
z=z' ( t ) CB =0
z=z' ( t )

DAs

C A
CB
= DBs
t
t

The last B.C. is the result of the 1:1 stoichiometry of the reaction. Applying the same method as
described in semi-infinite slab and defining the dimensionless parameters as

z
; CA =1 ( ) and CB =2 ( )
4 DAs t

So after transforming, we get

C A
1
1 ' and
=
t
2t
2C A
1
1 ''
=
2
4 DAs t
z
After substituting and rearranging, we get

1 ''+ 21 ' = 0

(17.3)

Substituting for ' equation (17.12.) becomes

d
+ 2 = 0
d

Integrating and back substituting for we get

NPTEL,IITKharagpur,Prof.SaikatChakraborty,DepartmentofChemicalEngineering

(17.4)

2
CA
= a1 + a2 e d
C A0
0

= a1 + a2 erf ( )

(17.5)

z
= a1 + a2 erf
4D t
As

Similarly for component B

2
CB
= b1 + b2 e d
CB 0
0

z
=b1 + b2erf
4D t
Bs

(17.6)

The location of the reaction plane is found by setting CA (or CB) =0

Equation (17.5) yields z ' = 4 DAs t where is a constant.
There are five constants to be determined: a1, b1, a2, b2, and . Use the five initial and boundary
conditions given at the top to get

1 erf

C
a
= B0
DBs C A0

DBs
erf
DAs

a
a
a
exp

DAs
DAs DBs

Thus, we get
a = 2 DAs
a1 = 1

a2 = erf

b1 = 1 1 erf

b2 = 1 erf

a
DAs

(17.7)

a
DBs

a
DBs

NPTEL,IITKharagpur,Prof.SaikatChakraborty,DepartmentofChemicalEngineering

The net rate of mass transfer at the interface is

NA

z =0

= DAs

C A
z

(17.8)
z =0

Substituting a1 and a2 in eqn. (17.5) and evaluating for CA and integrating, we get
NA

z =0

NA

z =0

C A0
erf a DAs

DAs
t

(17.9)

~ t 1 2

The average rate up to time t is

t

N A,avg =

1
N A dt
t 0
C A0

=2

erf
=2 N A

DAs

DAs
t

z =0

Fig.17.6. Gas absorption with rapid chemical reaction. Concentration profiles according to eqns.
(17.5) and (17.6).
NPTEL,IITKharagpur,Prof.SaikatChakraborty,DepartmentofChemicalEngineering

2. Absorption with Chemical Reactions in a Semi-Infinite Medium:

Reaction of finite speed
Here same situation is assumed as considered in the case of gas absorption with rapid chemical
reaction with moving boundary. Here we are assuming that the reaction is not instantaneous and
reaction happens throughout the domain of interest.
So the governing equation is
C A
2C A
= DAs
k1 ''' C A
t
x 2

(17.10)

Eqn. (17.10) containing rate of reaction assumes excess quantity of B or that solvent is B.
The initial and boundary conditions are

t =0

B.Cs. x=0

I.C.

CA =0

CA =CA0 ( at saturation )
CA =0

Equation (17.10) can be solved using Laplace Transform and the solution is given as
x

k1 ''' t
erfc

4 DAs t

k '''
1
+ exp x 1 erfc
+ k1 ''' t
4D t

2
As
DAs

CA 1
k '''
= exp x 1
C A0 2
DAs

(17.11)

NPTEL,IITKharagpur,Prof.SaikatChakraborty,DepartmentofChemicalEngineering

The molar flux of A at x=0 is

exp ( k1 ''' t )
NA x =0 = C A0 DAs k1 ''' erf k1 ''' t +

k
'''
t

(17.12)

The total moles of A absorbed from time t=0 to t=t0 is given by

A = C A0 DAs t0 k1 ''' t0 +

1
2 k1 ''' t

1
exp ( k1 ''' t0 )
erf k1 ''' t0 +

(17.13)

For large values of k1 ''' to (>5), A becomes

A = C A0 DAs k1 ''' t0 +

2k1 '''

(17.14)

Considering the more general situation, let us take the example of following non-instantaneous
reaction
k2
A + zB
yP

NPTEL,IITKharagpur,Prof.SaikatChakraborty,DepartmentofChemicalEngineering

C A
2C A
= DAs
k 2 C AC B
t
x 2
with following I.C and B.Cs
t = 0 CA =0 x>0

x = 0 CA =CA0 t
x C =C x>0
B
B0

CB
2CB
= DBs
zk2C ACB
t
x 2
with following I.C and B.Cs
t = 0 CB =CB0 x>0

CB

= 0 t>0
x = 0
x

x CB = CB 0 t>0
The equations can be solved by procedure described above.

NPTEL,IITKharagpur,Prof.SaikatChakraborty,DepartmentofChemicalEngineering