BITS, PILANI K. K.

BIRLA GOA CAMPUS

Interphase Mass Transfer

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Interphase Mass Transfer

we have considered only the diffusion of

substances within a single phase.
In most of the mass transfer operations,
however, two insoluble phases are brought
into contact in order to permit transfer of
constituent substances between them.
Simultaneous application of the diffusional
mechanism for each phase to the combined
system has to be considered

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Interphase Mass Transfer
Contd..

Rate of diffusion within each phase is

dependent upon the concentration gradient
existing within it.
The concentration gradients of the two-phase
system are indicative of the departure from
equilibrium, which exists between the phases
It is necessary, therefore, to consider both the
diffusional phenomena and the equilibria in
order to describe the various situations fully

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 Equilibrium
Ammonia-Air-
Water System
If the ammonia is
designated
as substance A and
the equilibrium
concentrations in the
gas and liquid, yA and
xA mole fractions, Mole fraction of A in the liquid, xA
respectively
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Diffusion between phases-
Wetted Wall Column

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 THEORIES OF MASS TRANSFER
1.Film theory
Mass transfer occurs in a
Effective heat
boundary layer thin stagnant film near the
t surface
t
q NA
T t Mass transfer occurs at
T
NA Tw
Fluid
q steady state
Tw
C Ab k T
q (T Tw ) q k (T T )
C Ai t Tw Loww flux, low concentration
t
k k
Metal wall (T Tw )
Laminar
q q (T Tw )
t layer t
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Film theory
kL = DAB /

The mass transfer coefficient can be calculated if

diffusivity and film thickness is known
All the resistance to mass transfer lies in the film

CA = Cai (Cai - Cab) (z / )

What is NA?

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 Film theory
Mass transfer occurs in a
Effective heat
boundary layer thin stagnant film near the
t surface
t
q NA
T t Mass transfer occurs at
T
NA Tw
Fluid
q steady state
Tw
C Ab k T
q (T Tw ) q k (T T )
C Ai t Tw Loww flux, low concentration
t
k k
Metal wall (T Tw )
Laminar
q q (T Tw )
t layer t
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2.Penetration Theory (Higbie)
In this model bulk fluid packets (eddies) work
their way to the interface from the bulk solution.
While at the interface they attempt to equilibrate
with the other phase under non-steady state
conditions. No film concepts need be invoked.

Unsteady state mass transfer

Equilibrium at the gas liquid interface
Each of the liquid stays in contact with the gas
phase for the same period of time

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Penetration Theory (Higbie)

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Penetration Theory (Higbie)

D
J 2 Ci Cb

D
k l,g 2 (Higbie)
av

kL = (D / )0.5

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3. Surface Renewal Theory
(Danckwert)
Penetration theory drawback: Same contact
time

In actual case there will be a distribution

Random replacement with same probability,

unsteady state
kL = (DABs)0.5

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Comparison of theories

Higbie and Danckwert's models both predict that

J is proportional to D0.5 where the Nernst film
model predicts that J is proportional to D. Actual
observations show that J is proportional to
something in between, D0.5 -1 . There are more
complicated models which may fit the
experimental data better, but we don't need to
invoke them at this time.

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 Equilibrium
Neverthless the following principles are common to all
systems involving the distribution of substances between
two insoluble phases.
1. At a fixed set of conditions, referring to temperature and
pressure, there exists a set of equilibrium relationships,
which can be shown graphically
2. For a system in equilibrium, there is no net diffusion of
the components between the phases.
3. For a system not in equilibrium, diffusion of the
components between the phases will occur so as to bring
the system to a equilibrium. If sufficient time is
available, equilibrium concentrations will eventually
prevail.
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Local Two Phase Mass Transfer

Interface
yAG Gas
xA,i liquid

yA,i
xA,L

Distance
N A k y y A,G y A,i k x x A,i x A, L

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 Lewis and Whatman Assumption
only diffusional resistances
no resistance to solute transfer across the interface
separating the phases
For steady state mass transfer, the rate at which A
reaches the interface from the gas must equal that at
which it diffuses to the bulk liquid, so that no
accumulation or depletion of A at the interface occurs

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 Local Two Phase Mass Transfer
Point P represents the
two bulk phase
concentrations and point
M those at the interface

Slope of line PM
y AG y Ai k x
Fig.3 Departure of bulk phase
x Ai x AL k y
Concentrations from Equilibrium

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Local Two Phase Mass Transfer

In experimental determination of the

rate of mass transfer,
It is possible to determine the solute
concentration in bulk phase by
sampling and analyzing
But impractical to know the
interphase concentration
yA*, in equilibrium with xA,L, is as good
measure of xA,L as xA,L itself
The entire two phase mass-transfer
effect can then be measured in terms of
an overall mass transfer coefficient Ky

N A K y y A ,G y
A
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N A K y y A,G y A

1/KY=1/ky+m(1/kx)

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Local Two Phase Mass Transfer
Contd

N A K x x A x A, L 1 1
"
1
K x m k y kx

1
Resistance in gas phase ky

Total resistance , both phases 1
Ky

1
Resistance in liquid phase kx

Total resistance , both phases 1
Kx
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Case 1: If we assume kx,ky are roughly
same as m.

Case 2:when m is very large(solute A

is relatively insoluble in liquid.

Case 3: when kx and ky are not nearly

equal.
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 PROBLEM 1
In a laboratory experiment, the solute A is being absorbed from a
mixture with an insoluble gas in a falling film of water at 30C
and a total pressure of 1.45bar. The gas phase mass transfer
coefficient at the given velocity is estimated to be kc=90.3
kmol/(h)m2(kmol/m3). It is known that 13.6% of the total mass
transfer resistance lies in gas phase. At a particular section of
apparatus, the mole fraction of the solute in bulk gas is 0.065 and
the interfacial conc. of the solute in the liquid is known to be
xi=0.00201. The equilibrium solubility of the gas in water at the
given temp. is p=3.318x104x*. p is partial pr. of A in the gas
(mmHg) and x* is the solubility of A in water in mole fraction.

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Calculate
1) The absorption flux of the gas at the given
section of apparatus
2) The bulk liquid concentration at the section
of the apparatus
3) The overall liquid phase mass transfer
coefficient
4) The individual and overall gas phase driving
forces in terms of p and y.
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 PROBLEM 2
The equilibrium solubility of SO2 in water at 30C is given by
Sherwood
pSO2(mmHg) 0.6 1.7 4.7 8.1 11. 19. 36 52 79
8 7

gm SO2 per 100g H2O 0.02 0.05 0.1 0.15 2.0 0.3 0.5 0.7 1.0

At a point in an absorption column operating at a total

pressure of 4.5bar, the bulk conc. in the gas and the liquid
phases are x=0.0014 and y=0.02. The individual gas-phase and
liquid-phase mass transfer coefficients are
kx=80kmol/h.m2.x ky=15kmol/h.m2.y

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 Calculate:
a) The interfacial concentrations at the particular location
b) The overall mass transfer coefficients and the rate of
absorption
c) The mass transfer coefficients kx and ky
d) The individual and overall driving force at the location in
terms of x and C.
e) What fraction of the total resistance is offered by the gas
film?
f) What should have been the value of ky, if the gas phase
offered 60% of the total resistance to mass transfer(for the
given liquid phase coefficient)?

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Local coefficients general case
Applicable when
If there is no diffusion in one substance
Equimolar counter diffusion is not present
Mass transfer rate is very fast.

Where FL and FG are liquid phase and gas phase

coefficient.

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Overall and individual Phase Fs
Relation
overall coefficients are related by

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 Case 1:
Diffusion of one component

Or

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Case2:
Equimolal counter diffusion

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 PROBLEM-3
A wetted
1. wall absorption tower, 1in ID is fed with water as
the wall liquid and an ammonia-air mixture as the central-
core gas. At a particular level in the tower the ammonia
concentration in the bulk gas is 0.80 mole fraction, that in
bulk liquid 0.05 mole fraction. the temperature = 800 F ,the
pressure 1 std atm .The rates of flow are such that the local
mass transfer coefficient in the liquid ,from a correlation
obtained with the dilute solutions ,is kL =0.34 mol/ft2.h and
the local Sherwood number for the gas is 40. Diffusivity of
ammonia in air =0.890 ft2/h=2.297*10-5 m2/s. Compute the
local mass transfer flux for the absorption of ammonia,
ignoring the vaporization of water.

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 Material Balances
The concentration difference driving forces
above, as we have said, are those existing at
one position in the equipment used to contact
the immiscible phases
In case of steady state process, the
concentration within each phase changes as it
moves through the equipment, because of the
transfer of solute from one phase to another

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Steady State Co-current
Process

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Component A diffuses from R to E

So total quantity of R falls to R2 And x1decreses to x2

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As we know that

Where X1 is the mole ratio of concentration of A at

the entrance, mole A/mole non-A
RS (X1 X2) = ES (Y2 Y1)
This is the equation of straight line on X,Y
coordinates of slope RS/ES

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Steady-state cocurrent process transfer of solute
from phase R to phase E

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 Steady State Counter-current Process

R1x1 + E2y2= R2 x 2 + E1y1

RS (X1 X2) = ES (Y1 Y2)

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For envelope II

R1x1 + Ey= Rx + E1y1

RS (X1 X) = ES (Y1 Y)
This is the equation of straight line on
X,Y coordinates of slope RS/ES

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 Stages
A Stage is defined
as any device or combination of devices in
which two insoluble phases are brought into
intimate contact,
where mass transfer occurs between the
phases tending to bring them to equilibrium,
and where the phases are then mechanically
separated.
A process carried out in this manner is a single
stage process

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 Ideal Stage
An Ideal or theoretical or
equilibrium Stage
Where time of contact between
phases is sufficient for the effluents
indeed to be in equilibrium
Although in practice this cannot be
achieved

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 Terms:
Stage efficiency: Fractional approach to
equilibrium which a real stage produces.
EME= Y2-Y1
Y2*-Y1

EMR= X2-X1
X2*-X1

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 Cascades
A group of stages interconnected so
that various streams flow from one to
the other is called a cascade.
Its purpose is to increase the extent
of mass transfer

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 Straight equilibrium slope of
line
The absorption factor A

The stripping factor S

Equilibrium line equation

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Cross Flow Cascades

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Cross Flow Cascades

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Counter Flow Cascades

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Counter Flow Cascades

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Calculating Number of stages
analytically (Transfer is from R to E )
When absorption factor A = 1

When absorption factor A=1

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 When transfer is from E to R
When absorption factor A = 1

When absorption factor A=1

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Problem-4

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 PROBLEM-5

When a certain sample of moist soap is exposed to air at 750C,1 std

atm pressure ,the equilibrium distribution of moisture between the
air and soap is as follows:

a) Ten kilogram of wet soap containing 16.7% moisture by weight

is placed in a vessel containing 10 m3 moist air whose initial
moisture content corresponds to a water vapor partial pressure
of 12 mmhg. After the soap has reached by fresh air of the
original moisture content of 13%, the air in the vessel is entirely
replaced by fresh air of the original moisture content and the
system is then allowed to reach equilibrium .the total pressure
and temperature are maintained at 1 std atm and 750 C .what will
be the ultimate moisture content of the soap?
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b. It is desired to dry the soap from 16.7 to 4% moisture
continuously in a countercurrent stream of air whose
initial water vapor partial pressure is 12mm Hg. the
pressure and the temperature will be maintained
throughout at 1std atm and 750 C. for 1 kg initial wet
soap per hour , what is the minimum amount of air
required per hour?
c. If 30% more air than that determined in part (b) is used,
what will be the moisture content of the air leaving the drier
? To how many equilibrium stages will the process be
equivalent ?
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Problem-6

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Quiz-2

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 Thanks

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