Material Balance on Single-

Unit Process
Introduction to Material Balance
Introduction to Material Balance
• Material balances are the application of the law of conservation of
mass, which states that mass can neither be created nor destroyed.
• Total mass of input = total mass of output
• The simplest form of a mass balance is for systems wherein there is
no accumulation and generation (consumption) of matter.
• For such systems, mass balance problems have a standard theme:
Given the mass flow rates of some input and output streams,
calculate the mass flow rates of remaining streams
• Unknown quantities can then be calculated using mass balance
principles.
Introduction to Material Balance
• For a given system, a material balance can be written in terms of the
following conserved quantities: total mass (or moles), mass (or moles)
of a chemical compound, mass (or moles) of an atomic species.
• It is to be mentioned that the number of moles is not always
conserved, and hence may not be appropriate to represent an
amount in a material balance.
• A system is a region of space defined by a real or imaginary closed
envelope (system boundary), and may be a single process unit,
collection of process units, or an entire process
Introduction to Material Balance
• The general expression of a mass balance takes the following form:
• Accumulation = (input − output) + (generation − consumption)
• If the system is under steady state (defined next), then the
accumulation term is removed from the balance.
• If the balanced quantity is total mass, the generation term will be
canceled since total mass is neither created nor destroyed (with the
exception of nuclear reactions).
• If the balanced substance is a nonreactive species, neither a reactant
nor a product, no generation or consumption takes place; these terms
are removed from the balance, accordingly.
Material Balance Fundamentals
• As explained previously, the concept of a material balance is based on
the fundamental law of conservation of mass:
• Accumulation = (input − output) + (generation − consumption)
• where
• Accumulation is the change in quantity of material inside the system
• Input is the material that enters the system by crossing system boundary
• Output is the material that exits the system by crossing system boundary
• Generation is the material that is produced by chemical reaction within the
system
• Consumption is the material that is used up by chemical reaction within the
system
Material Balance Fundamentals
• Processes can operate either under steady state or in a transient
mode (unsteady state).
• A steady-state system is one whose properties do not change with
time. Every time we take a snapshot of the process, all the variables
have the same values as they did when measured the first time.
• A transient system is one whose properties change with time. Every
time a snapshot is taken, process variables take on.
Material Balance Fundamentals
• Processes can be further classified as continuous, batch, or semi-
batch.
• A continuous process refers to a process where feed and product
streams move chemicals into and out of the process all the time.
• In a batch process, the material content is loaded in the process unit
all at once. Products are withdrawn from the process at specific times
only.
• A semi-batch process is one that has some characteristics of
continuous and batch processes. For instance, input streams in the
process are handled batch wise, while output streams flow out of the
process continuously, and vice versa.
Material Balance Fundamentals
• There are two types of material balances, that is, differential or
integral, based on a system mode of operation.
• A differential mass balance is a form of the balance that represents a
process continuous in time. This type of balance is generally applied
to continuous steady-state processes;
• An integral balance is a form of the balance written over a time
interval is generally applied to batch processes. For example, a water
storage tank contains 20 L of water initially. After 30 min of filling up
the tank with water, the water content of the tank is found to be 50 L.
In this case, the accumulated amount of water after 30 min is 30 L of
water:
Mass Balance on Steady-State Processes
• A flowchart is a convenient way of organizing process information for
subsequent calculations;
• To obtain maximum benefit from the flowchart in material balance
calculations, one must write the values and units of all known
stream variables at the locations of the streams on the chart.
• Assign algebraic symbols to unknown stream variables and write
these variable names and their associated units on the chart. The
use of consistent notation is generally advantageous.
• The following notation is used. For example, m (mass), m (mass
flow rate), n (moles), n (mole flow rate), V (volume), V (volumetric
flow rate), x (component fractions (mass or mole) in liquid streams),
and y (component fractions in gas streams).
Mass Balance on Steady-State Processes
• A systematic procedure will be outlined for solving single-unit
processes where there are no reactions (consumption = generation =
0), and when processes are continuous and under steady state
(accumulation = 0).
• The procedure will form the foundation for more complex problems
involving multiple units and processes with reactions;
• For a stream to be fully specified, the flow rate and the composition
of each component should be known. If any of these items are not
given, then it will be considered as unknown.
Mass Balance on Steady-State Processes
• If any of these items are not given, then it will be considered as
unknown.
• If the stream composition is unknown or if some of the component
masses are known, represent the component masses directly and use
a lower case letter for each chemical.
• If the stream composition is known from fractional compositions,
represent the component masses directly and label them.
• If the stream composition is partially known with fractional
compositions and the total is known, represent the component
masses indirectly and use lowercase x, y, and z for each fractional
composition
Basis for Calculation
• The amount or flow rate of one of the process streams can be used as
a basis for calculation. It is recommended to bear the following in
mind:
1. If a stream amount or flow rate is given in the problem statement, use this
as the basis for calculation.
2. If no stream amounts or flow rates are known, assume one, preferably a
stream of known composition.
3. If mass fractions are known, choose the total mass or mass flow rate of that
stream (e.g., 100 kg or 100 kg/h) as the basis.
4. If mole fractions are known, choose the total number of moles or the molar
flow rate.
Procedure for Solving Material Balance
Problems
• 1. Read the problem carefully and express what the problem
statement asks you to determine. Analyze the information given in
the problem.
• 2. Properly label all known quantities and unknown quantities on a
flowchart.
Procedure for Solving Material Balance
Problems
• 3. Choose a basis for calculation.
• 4. Select a system, draw its boundaries, and state your assumptions.
• 5. Determine the number of unknowns and the number of equations
that can be written that relate to them.
• 6. Calculate the quantities requested in the problem statement.
Check your solution and whether it makes sense.
Material Balance
• Pure oxygen is mixed with air to produce an “enriched air” containing
50% by mole O2. What ratio to air should be used?
Material Balance
• Two processes are mixed to from a single stream. Only the flow in
the mixed stream is known. A soluble salt is added to one of the
original streams at a steady rate. Samples taken of this steam show it
4.76% by weight. Samples from the combined stream shows 0.62%
by weight. What is the ratio of the flows in the two original streams?
Material Balance
• A mixed acid containing 65% by weight H2SO4, 20% HNO3 and 15%
H2O is to be made by blending the following liquids;
a. A spent acid containing 10% HNO3, 60% H2SO4, and 30% H2O;
b. A concentrated nitric acid containing 90% HNO3, and 10% H2O;
c. 20% oleum (80% H2SO4 and 20% SO3);
How many pounds of each of the three acids must be used to obtain 1000 lbs of
mixed acid
Material Balance
• A mixture of phenol and water, under certain conditions of
temperature and composition, forms two separate liquid phases, one
rich in phenol and the other rich in water. At 30°C the compositions
of the upper and lower layers are 70 and 9% by weight phenol,
respectively. If 40 lb of phenol and 60 lb of water are mixed and the
layers are allowed to separate at 30°C, what will be the weights of the
two layers?
Material Balance
• A stream of gas at 70°F and 14.3 psia and 50% saturated with water
vapor is passed through a drying tower where 90% of the water vapor
is removed. Calculate the pounds of water removed per 1000 ft3 of
entering gas. The vapor pressure of water at 70°F is 0.74 in Hg, and 1
atm≈ 14.7 psia ≈ 29.92 in Hg.
Material Balance
• One ton of a 30% by weight solution of Na2CO3 in water is cooled
slowly to 20°. During the cooling, 10% of the water originally present
is evaporated. The carbonate precipitating out forms crystals of
Na2CO3.10H2O. If the solubility of the anhydrous Na2CO3 at 20°C is
21.5 lb/100 lb H2O, what weight of Na2CO3.10H2O crystallizes out?