MASS TRANSFER

BETWEEN PHASES
Mass Transfer Systems

o  Bubble columns

o  Sieve – tray columns
o  Packed towers
o  Spray towers
o  Wetted-wall columns

* The two distinct phases (liquid and gas) are brought

together to transfer mass across the interface between
the two phases (interphase mass transfer).
Two-Film Theory
Interface
q  Mass transfer is simple and
the operation is steady-state.
q  There are only two
PA,G resistances encountered by
the transferring species –
those of the gas- and liquid-
PA,i
film layers.
CA,i
q  The interface offers no
CA,L resistance to mass transfer.
q  Equilibrium exists at the
Gas – phase interface.
Liquid – phase
resistance resistance

Concentration Profile
Two-Film Theory

At the interface:
•  No resistance to mass transfer is present
•  PAi is at equilibrium with CAi

PAi = f (C Ai )
Equilibrium Relations

q  Gas-liquid equilibrium data

Equilibrium Relations

q  Henry’s law (for dilute solutions)

PA = Hx A PA = H 'CA

yA = H " x A
where
H = Henry’s law constant (atm/mole frac)
H’ = Henry’s law constant (Pa/mol·m3)
H” = Henry’s law constant in (mole frac gas/mole frac liq)
 Film Mass-Transfer Coefficients and
Interface Concentrations

For A diffusing through a stagnant gas phase Interface

then through a stagnant liquid phase:

PA,G
N A = kG (PAG − PAi ) = kL (CAi − CAL )
PA,i

CA,i
NA – molar flux of solute transfer, mol s-1 m-2
PA – solute partial pressure in gas phase, Pa CA,L
CA – solute concentration in liquid phase, mol m-3
kG – mass transfer coefficient for gas phase, mol s-1 m-2 Pa-1 Gas – phase
Liquid – phase
resistance
kL – mass transfer coefficient for liquid phase, m s-1 resistance

Concentration Profile
 Film Mass-Transfer Coefficients and
Interface Concentrations

PAG

Rewriting the flux equation:

PAG − PAi kL
=−
CAL − CAi kG
PAi

Equilibrium
line

CAL CAi
 Film Mass-Transfer Coefficients and
Interface Concentrations

kL
slope = −
PAG kG

Rewriting the flux equation:

PAG − PAi kL
=−
CAL − CAi kG
PAi

Equilibrium
line

CAL CAi
 Film Mass-Transfer Coefficients and
Interface Concentrations

For A diffusing through a stagnant gas phase Interface

then through a stagnant liquid phase:

N A = k y (yAG − yAi ) = k x (x Ai − x AL ) yA,G

yA,i
NA – molar flux of solute transfer, mol s-1 m-2 xA,i
yA – solute partial pressure in gas phase, mol frac
xA,L
xA – solute concentration in liquid phase, mol frac
ky – mass transfer coefficient for gas phase, mol s-1 m-2 mol frac-1
Gas – phase
kx – mass transfer coefficient for liquid phase, mol s-1 m-2 mol frac-1 Liquid – phase
resistance
resistance
Film Mass-Transfer Coefficients and
Interface Concentrations

where

k y' k x'
ky = kx =
(1− yA )iM (1− x A )iM

Recall:

k y' k x'
ky = kx =
yBM x BM
 Film Mass-Transfer Coefficients and
Interface Concentrations

yAG

yA Rewriting the flux equation:

yAG − yAi kx
yAi =−
x AL − x Ai ky

Equilibrium
line

xAL xAi
xA
 Film Mass-Transfer Coefficients and
Interface Concentrations

kx
slope = −
yAG ky

yA Rewriting the flux equation:

yAG − yAi kx
yAi =−
x AL − x Ai ky

Equilibrium
line

xAL xAi
xA
 Film Mass-Transfer Coefficients and
Interface Concentrations

kx' (1− x A )iM

slope = −
yAG ky' (1− yA )iM

yA Rewriting the flux equation:

yAG − yAi kx' (1− x A )iM

yAi =−
x AL − x Ai ky' (1− yA )iM

Equilibrium
line

xAL xAi
xA
Film Mass-Transfer Coefficients and
Interface Concentrations

where

(1− yAi ) − (1− yAG ) (1− x AL ) − (1− x Ai )

(1− yA )iM =
(1− yAi )
(1− x A )iM = (1− x AL )
=
ln ln
(1− yAG ) (1− yAG )

Then,

k y' k x'
NA = (yAG − yAi ) = (x Ai − x AL )
(1− yA )iM (1− x A )iM
 Film Mass-Transfer Coefficients and
Interface Concentrations
Interface
For equimolar counterdiffusion:

N A = k y' (yAG − yAi ) = k x' (x Ai − x AL ) yA,G

yA,i
NA – molar flux of solute transfer, mol s-1 m-2 xA,i
yA – solute partial pressure in gas phase, mol frac
xA,L
xA – solute concentration in liquid phase, mol frac
ky – mass transfer coefficient for gas phase, mol s-1 m-2 mol frac-1
Gas – phase
kx – mass transfer coefficient for liquid phase, mol s-1 m-2 mol frac-1 Liquid – phase
resistance
resistance
 Film Mass-Transfer Coefficients and
Interface Concentrations

kx'
slope = − '
yAG ky

yA Rewriting the flux equation:

yAG − yAi kx'

yAi =− '
x AL − x Ai ky

Equilibrium
line

xAL xAi
xA
Sample Problem 1:
The solute A is being absorbed from a gas mixture of A and
B in a wetted wall tower with the liquid flowing as a film
downward along the wall. At a certain point in the tower the
bulk gas concentration yAG = 0.380 mol frac and the bulk
liquid concentration is xAL = 0.100. The tower is operating
at 298 K and 1.013 × 105 Pa. The solute A diffuses through
stagnant B in the gas phase and then through a nondiffusing
liquid.
Using correlation for solute in wetted-wall towers, the film
mass transfer coefficient for A in the gas phase is predicted
as ky’ = 1.465 × 10-3 kgmol A/s-m2-mol frac and for the
liquid phase as kx’ = 1.967 × 10-3 kgmol A/s-m2-mol frac.
Calculate the interface concentrations and the flux.
Sample Problem 1:

The equilibrium data are as follows:

xA yA
0   0  
0.05   0.022  
0.1   0.052  
0.15   0.087  
0.2   0.131  
0.25   0.187  
0.3   0.265  
0.35   0.385  
Solution:
Since solute A diffuses through stagnant B in the gas phase and
then through a nondiffusing liquid:

k y' k x'
NA = (yAG − yAi ) = (x Ai − x AL )
(1− yA )iM (1− x A )iM

where yA,G
(1− yAi ) − (1− yAG )
(1− yA )iM = (1− yAi )
ln
(1− yAG ) yA,i

xA,i
(1− x AL ) − (1− x Ai )
(1− x A )iM =
(1− x AL )
=
xA,L
ln
(1− x Ai )
Solution:
A trial-and-error solution is needed because yAi and xAi are unknown.

Since the solution is dilute, (1-yA)iM and (1-xA)iM may be assumed to be 1.0.

k y' k x'
≈ k y' ≈ k x'
(1− yA )iM (1− x A )iM

Hence, the slope:

kx' (1− x A )iM 1.967 ×10 −3 1.0

− =− = −1.342
ky' (1− yA )iM −3
1.465×10 1.0
 Solution:
Equilibrium curve can be drawn as:

0.45
Equilibrium data:
0.4
xA yA
0.35
0   0  
0.3
0.05   0.022  
0.25 0.1   0.052  
yA

0.2 0.15   0.087  

0.2   0.131  
0.15
0.25   0.187  
0.1 0.3   0.265  
0.05 0.35   0.385  
0
0 0.05 0.1 0.15 0.2 0.25 0.3 0.35 0.4
xA
 Solution:
The bulk concentrations yAG and xAL can then be plotted as:
0.45

A
0.4
yAG
0.35

0.3

0.25 yAG = 0.380

yA

0.2
xAL = 0.100
0.15

0.1

0.05

0
0 0.05 0.1 0.15 0.2 0.25 0.3 0.35 0.4
xA
xAL
 Solution:
A line from A can be drawn to intersect the equilibrium curve:
0.45

A
yAG
0.4 kx' (1− x A )iM
slope = −
0.35 ky' (1− yA )iM
0.3

0.25
yA

yAi
0.2
kx' (1− x A )iM 1.967 ×10 −3 1.0
− =− = −1.342
0.15
ky' (1− yA )iM −3
1.465×10 1.0
0.1

0.05

0
0 0.05 0.1 0.15 0.2 0.25 0.3 0.35 0.4

xA xAi
xAL
Solution:
A line from A can be drawn to intersect the equilibrium curve:
0.45

A
yAG
0.4 kx' (1− x A )iM
slope = −
0.35 ky' (1− yA )iM
0.3

0.25
yAi = 0.183
yA

0.2
yAi
0.15 xAi = 0.247
0.1

0.05

0
0 0.05 0.1 0.15 0.2 0.25 0.3 0.35 0.4

xA xAi
xAL
Solution:

Solving for (1-yA)iM and (1-xA)iM :

(1− yAi ) − (1− yAG ) (1− 0.183) − (1− 0.380 )

(1− yA )iM =
(1− yAi )
=
(1− 0.183)
= 0.715
ln ln
(1− yAG ) (1− 0.380)

(1− x AL ) − (1− x Ai ) (1− 0.100) − (1− 0.247)

(1− x A )iM = (1− x AL )
=
(1− 0.100)
= 0.825
ln ln
(1− x Ai ) (1− 0.247)
Solution:

Hence the actual slope can be calculated as:

kx' (1− x A )iM 1.967 ×10 −3 0.825

− =− = −1.163
ky' (1− yA )iM −3
1.465×10 0.715

A second trial can be performed using the -1.163 as the new

slope to determine the interface concentrations. By doing so,
values of yAi = 0.197 and xAi = 0.257 can be found.
Solution:

Finally, the flux can be solved as:

k y' 1.967 ×10 −3

NA = (yAG − yAi ) = (0.38 − 0.197) = 3.78 ×10 −4 kgmol/s-m 2
(1− yA )iM 0.709

N A = 3.78 ×10 −4 kgmol/s-m 2

k x' 1.465 ×10 −3

NA = (x AL − x Ai ) = (0.257 − 0.100) = 3.78 ×10 −4 kgmol/s-m 2
(1− x A )iM 0.820

N A = 3.78 ×10 −4 kgmol/s-m 2

END OF THIS PART