NPTEL Chemical Mass Transfer Operation 1

MODULE 3: MASS TRANSFER COEFFICIENTS

LECTURE NO. 6
3.5.2 Penetration theory
Most of the industrial processes of mass transfer is unsteady state process. In
such cases, the contact time between phases is too short to achieve a stationary
state. This non stationary phenomenon is not generally taken into account by the
film model. In the absorption of gases from bubbles or absorption by wetted-wall
columns, the mass transfer surface is formed instantaneously and transient
diffusion of the material takes place. Figure 3.4 demonstrates the schematic of
penetration model.
Basic assumptions of the penetration theory are as follows:
1) Unsteady state mass transfer occurs to a liquid element so long it is in
contact with the bubbles or other phase
2) Equilibrium exists at gas-liquid interface
3) Each of liquid elements stays in contact with the gas for same period of
time
Liquid elements
are sliding down

Rising gas
bubble

Figure 3.4: Schematic of penetration model.

Joint initiative of IITs and IISc Funded by MHRD

Page 1 of 5

NPTEL Chemical Mass Transfer Operation 1

Under these circumstances, the convective terms in the diffusion can be

neglected and the unsteady state mass transfer of gas (penetration) to the liquid
element can be written as:

c
2c
DAB
t
Z 2

(3.60)

The boundary conditions are: t = 0, Z > 0 : c = c Ab and t > 0, Z = 0 : c = cAi.

The term cAb is the concentration of solute at infinite distance from the surface
and cAi is the concentration of solute at the surface. The solution of the partial
differential equation for the above boundary conditions is given by the following
equation:

Z
c Ai c

erf
2 D t
c Ai c Ab
AB

(3.61)

Where erf(x) is the error function defined by

x

exp( Z

erf ( x)

)dZ

(3.62)

If the process of mass transfer is a unidirectional diffusion and the surface

concentration is very low (cAb~0), the mass flux of component A, NA [kg m2 s1],
can be estimated by the following equation:

NA

DAB
1 c Ab

c
c

Z Z 0
Z Z 0

(3.63)

Substituting Equation (3.61) into Equation (3.63), the rate of mass transfer at
time t is given by the following equation:

N A (t )

D AB
(c Ai c Ab )
t

(3.64)

Then the mass transfer coefficient is given by

k L (t )

DAB
t

(3.65)

The average mass transfer coefficient during a time interval tc is then obtained by
integrating Equation (3.61) as

Joint initiative of IITs and IISc Funded by MHRD

Page 2 of 5

NPTEL Chemical Mass Transfer Operation 1

k L ,av

1 c
DAB
k (t )dt 2
tc 0
tc

(3.66)

So from the above equation, the mass transfer coefficient is proportional to the
square root of the diffusivity. This was first proposed by R. Higbie in 1935 and the
theory is called Higbies penetration theory.

3.5.3 Surface Renewal Theory

For the mass transfer in liquid phase, Danckwert (1951) modified the Higbies
penetration theory. He stated that a portion of the mass transfer surface is
replaced with a new surface by the motion of eddies near the surface and
proposed the following assumptions:
1) The liquid elements at the interface are being randomly swapped by fresh
elements from bulk
2) At any moment, each of the liquid elements at the surface has the same
probability of being substituted by fresh element
3) Unsteady state mass transfer takes place to an element during its stay at
the interface.

Hence, average molar flux, NA,av

N A,av (C Ai C Ab ) s DAB

(3.67)

Comparing Equation (3.67) with Equation (3.8) we get

k L,av s DAB

(3.68)

where s is fraction of the surface renewed in unit time, i.e., the rate of surface
renewal [s-1].

3.5.4 Boundary Layer Theory

Boundary layer theory takes into account the hydrodynamics/flow field that
characterizes a system and gives a realistic picture of the way mass transfer at a
phase boundary. A schematic of concentration boundary layer is shown in Figure
3.5.

Joint initiative of IITs and IISc Funded by MHRD

Page 3 of 5

NPTEL Chemical Mass Transfer Operation 1

U
CAb

u U
CA=CAi-0.99(CAi-CAb)

(x) m(x)
x
Flat plate

Figure 3.5: Schematic of concentration boundary layer.

When (x)u=Uand when m(x) u=0.99U distance over which solute

concentration drops by 99% of (CAi-CAb).

Shx

x.k L , x
D AB

0.332(Re) 0.5 ( Sc) 0.33

(3.69)

where, x is the distance of a point from the leading edge of the plate; kL,x is the
local mass transfer coefficient.

Shav

l.k L, x
D AB

0.664(Re) 0.5 ( Sc) 0.33

(3.70)

where, l is the length of the plate.

Example problem 3.2: Zakauskas (Adv. Heat Transfer, 8, 93, 1972) proposed
the following correlation for the heat-transfer coefficient in a staggered tube bank
arrangement:

Nu 0.453 Re 0.568 Pr 0.36 ,

where 10 Re ( u g d / ) 10 6 and 0.7 Pr 500

Estimate the mass-transfer coefficient by using the mass and heat transfer
analogy if to be expected for evaporation of n-propyl alcohol into carbon dioxide
for the same geometrical arrangement of tube diameter (d) of 38 mm when the
carbon dioxide flows at a maximum velocity (ug) of 10 m/s at 300 K and 1 atm.
Properties of dilute mixtures of propyl alcohol in carbon dioxide at 300 K and 1
atm are: Molecular weight (M) = 44 gm/mole, density () = 1.8 kg/m 3, Viscosity
() = 1.4910-5 kg/m.s, diffusivity (DAB) = 7.610-6 m2/s and universal gas
Joint initiative of IITs and IISc Funded by MHRD

Page 4 of 5

NPTEL Chemical Mass Transfer Operation 1

constant (R) = 8.314 J/mole.K. Sherwood number is defined based on diameter

of the tube as k G RTd / DAB
Solution 3.2: Re = 1.8*10*0.038/1.4910-5 = 45906.04
Sc = (1.4910-5)/(1.8* 7.610-6) = 1.08
Analogy to heat transfer
Sh 0.453 Re 0.568 Sc 0.36 = 207.68

So, k G RTd / DAB = 207.68

Therefore kG = (207.68*DAB)/(RTd) = 1.66510-05 mole/m2.s.Pa

Joint initiative of IITs and IISc Funded by MHRD

Page 5 of 5