COURSE SYLLABUS

2022-2023

Separation Processes
PCE312
Second Semester 2022 - 2023
 PCE312 Syllabus

Table of Contents
1 General Course Information ................................................................................................. 3
2 Course Description ............................................................................................................... 4
3 Course Objectives................................................................................................................. 4
4 Learning Outcomes .............................................................................................................. 4
5 Course Evaluation................................................................................................................. 5
5.1 Overall Course Grading Scale............................................................................................ 6
6 Turnit-in ................................................................................................................................ 6
7 Use of textbook and other course material ......................................................................... 7
8 IEEE Style .............................................................................................................................. 7
9 Lab Reports .......................................................................................................................... 7
10 Attendance Policy................................................................................................................. 7
11 Makeup of missing assessment ............................................................................................ 8
12 Academic Honesty and Integrity Assurance ......................................................................... 8
13 Copyrights .......................................................................................................................... 10
14 The need to study............................................................................................................... 10
15 Teaching Methodology....................................................................................................... 10
16 The Project and team-based work ..................................................................................... 10
17 Activities, in class assignments, cases, and participation ................................................... 11
18 Exams and Quizzes ............................................................................................................. 11
19 Surveys ............................................................................................................................... 11
20 Specific Notes ..................................................................................................................... 11
21 Course Weekly Calendar .................................................................................................... 12
 German Jordanian University (GJU)

COURSE SYLLABUS

1 General Course Information

Title and Code of the course: Separation Processes (PCE312)

Class Meeting Times:

Sections Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Instructor Room
1 9:30-11:00 9:30-11:00 Balsam Mohammad M425

Instructor’s name and title: Dr. Balsam Mohammad

Office hours:
Dr. Balsam Mohammad: By appointment or on the following:
Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday

11:00-12:30 11:00 – 12:30 11:00 – 12:30 11:00 – 12:30 ----

Number of credits: 3 credits

Prerequisites: PCE312
Contact Hours: 3 hrs. Lecture
Office number:
Balsam Mohammad: Room: M418, Pharmaceutical and Chemical Engineering, 4th Floor,
Building M.
Email: [email protected]

Textbook/material required:
1. Textbooks: Separation Process Principles. Seader, J.D., Henley, E.J John Wiley & Sons,
New Jersey, 2011, 3rd edition.
2. Heat and Mass Transfer: Fundamentals and Applications. Cengel, Y.A, Ghafar, A.J.Mc
Graw Hill, 2011,4 th edition.
3. Geankoplis, C.J. Transport Processes and Separation Processes Principles. 4th Edition,
2003.
4. McCabe, W.L., Smith, J.C., and Harriott, P. Unit Operations of Chemical engineering.
7thedition., McGraw-Hill, 2005.
 5. Treybal, R. E. Mass Transfer Operations.3rdedition., McGraw Hill.
6. Wankat, P.C., Equilibrium Staged Separations. Prentice Hall, 1988.
7. Lecture Notes, tutorial and online resources.

2 Course Description
Separation processes are of vital importance to the chemical engineering industry. In general, the
cost of separation may be 40 – 70% of the capital and operating cost of a plant. Hence, a good
understanding of separations is crucial for the practicing chemical engineer. Both transport and
thermodynamic considerations are important in separation processes. The important separation
processes are based on differences in properties between constituents such as vapor pressure,
solubility, absorptivity and diffusivity. Students will understand the principles of mass transfer and
the characteristics of staged processes.

3 Course Objectives
Separation processes are of vital importance to the chemical engineering industry. In general, the
cost of separation may be 40 – 70% of the capital and operating cost of a plant. Hence, a good
understanding of separations is crucial for the practicing chemical engineer. Both transport and
thermodynamic considerations are important in separation processes. The important separation
processes are based on differences in properties between constituents such as vapor pressure,
solubility, absorptivity and diffusivity. Students will understand the principles of mass transfer and
the characteristics of staged processes. The recent development of industries such as
biotechnology and nanotechnology has increased the opportunity for chemical engineer that has
solid fundamentals principles of separation processes. In order to understand the key concepts in
depth, the course will focus mainly on distillation, absorption, and drying of solids.

4 Learning Outcomes
A student who successfully fulfills the course requirements will have demonstrated:
a. Identify mechanisms of mass transfer, analogy heat and mass transfer.
b. Analyze the operation and performance of a range of separation processes and unit
operations.
c. Understand the principles for designing selected separation units including distillation
columns, gas absorption and stripping columns, drying process.
d. Understand the fundamental principles involved in these separation processes based on
equilibrium and mass transfer processes.
e. Explain and analyze vapor-liquid equilibria construct vapor-liquid equilibrium curves.
 f. Explain and analyze distillation process make material balance for single, flash and binary
multistage distillation column calculate ideal equilibrium stage for binary mixtures.
g. Demonstrate the ability to calculate number of stages for counter current columns.
h. Perform graphical or algebraic design calculations for binary distillation, absorption from
insoluble carrier gas into a non-volatile solvent.
i. Select feasible solvent/stripping agent rates and reflux ratios.
j. Describe the principles by which economic reflux ratios are selected.
k. Determine the properties of humid air using a psychrometric chart.
l. Understand rate of drying for different drying conditions.

5 Course Evaluation

Assessment type Number of assessments weight

First Exam 1 20%

Second Exam 1 20%
Quizzes, Evaluation To be assigned during semester 20%
Final Exam 1 40%
Total 100%

Notes about written assignments:

✓ All assignments, activities, reports, are due as hardcopies in class unless otherwise advised.
✓ Softcopies are required to be uploaded into Moodle. No assignment will be accepted if not
uploaded to Moodle before the deadline.
✓ Please refer to the course project syllabus for more details about project deliverables and
submission deadlines.
5.1 Overall Course Grading Scale

Grading System

Grade Quality Points Description

84 - 100 % Represents work of excellent quality. It is strong evidence of
Excellent original thinking, good organization, capacity to analyze and
synthesize, superior grasp of subject matter with sound critical
evaluations and evidence of extensive knowledge base
76-83.9 Very good Represents work of good quality. It is evidence of grasp of subject
matter, some evidence of critical capacity and analytic ability,
68 - 75.9 % Good reasonable understanding of relevant issues and evidence of
familiarity with literature

60 - 67.9 % Represents satisfactory achievement. It is evidence of profiting

Satisfactory from the university experience, understanding of the subject
matter and ability to develop solutions to simple problems in the
material.
50 -60 Represents the minimum passing grade and poor performance.
passing grade Represents some evidence of familiarity with the subject matter
and that limited critical and analytic skills have been developed.
Less than 50 Represents unsatisfactory performance (failure); the course must
be repeated satisfactorily to establish credit. Represents lack of
evidence of understanding of subject matter, weakness in critical
and analytic skills and limited or irrelevant use of literature.

6 Turnit-in and /or Plagscan

Plagscan and Turnit-in is a web-based solution that allows GJU faculty and students check written
work for improper citation or misappropriated content. You may be assigned a username and a
password to be able to upload your assignments online, when and if requested. If you face any
technical problem, please contact IT at GJU.
7 Use of textbook and other course material
It is the responsibility of the student to refer to the textbook and other course material. The use of
the textbook is mandatory.

8 IEEE Style
Engineering departments at GJU adopt the IEEE writing style for all its academic programs.
Students need to use this style for their assignments. The following web site is of value for students:
https://brand-experience.ieee.org/guidelines/digital/style-guide/

9 Lab Reports
It is expected of students to follow and abide with lab procedures and guidelines. Lab report
format must be strictly followed by the student.

10 Attendance Policy
Our educational philosophy is based on two criteria; developing a professional graduate who
understands and respects discipline and a graduate who masters the course material given in class.
On that we believe, missing more than maximum allowed sessions of the course total sessions
means the student could not cover completely the curriculum and missed the needed amount of
information related to succeed the course and student is declared “Dismissed” accordingly.
Regular quality attendance is a clear indication of the student’s commitment, dedication, and
respect of the course and the class.
A. Attendance is compulsory for by all students in all registered for courses whether theoretical or
practical. The instructor of the relevant course is to record the students’ attendance or absence in
each
B. A student is not permitted to be absent from more than 15% of the total number of credit hours
assigned for each course (i.e. six lectures for a course that is being taught three times a week with
a duration of one hour per lecture; four for a course that is being taught two times a week with a
duration of one and a half hours per lecture, and two lectures for a course that is being taught once
a week).
C. If a student is absent for more than 15% of the total number of credit hours assigned to any
course, without submitting evidence that his absence was due to heath or other compelling reasons
acceptable by the Dean of the respective School, the course instructor is to deprive him from sitting
for all subsequent exams including the final exam. In this case, his grade will be the grade
accumulated for the course work during the semester, if it is more than (35%), or the lowest grade
that can be assigned to the course which is the university zero (35%), unless he manages to
withdraw from the course during the permissible withdrawal period. The Dean of the respective
School should duly inform the Director of the Admissions and Registration Department, so that the
deprivation is registered before the beginning of the final exams.
D. If a student is absents for more than 20% of the total number of credit hours assigned for any
course, but manages to submit evidence that his absence was due to health or other compelling
unforeseen reasons acceptable by the Dean of the respective School, then he is to be considered
withdrawn from the course. The Dean of the respective School should duly inform the Director of
the Admission and Registration Department, so that the withdrawal from the course is registered
in the student’s transcript. Students who represent the Kingdom or the University in official
activities are to be allowed to exceed the absence limit by no more than 25% of the credit hours
assigned for any course as long as the student provides an excuse within one week after the activity
is over. Otherwise, the instructions stated in article (28) of these regulations, concerning the add
and drop procedures are to be applied.
E. All health excuses should be supported by a medical report, issued by the University’s doctor or
certified by him. The report should be submitted to the Course Instructor before the absence, or as
soon as the sick student recovers. In unforeseen circumstances, the excuse could be submitted as
soon as these circumstances have ended.
Please check article (14) in the following link showing the attendance policy of GJU:
gju_regulations_in_english_2020-2021_april_2021_0.pdf

11 Makeup of missing assessment

GJU policy is applied for any missing assessment, assignment, or activity of any type and weight,
the makeup (if approved) will be administered as per the policy.
Missing Assessments, assignments or activities may be scheduled on different days and time than
the regular class meeting times, including on Saturdays.
For more details, please check article (20) that explains the makeup policy in the following link

gju_regulations_in_english_2020-2021_april_2021_0.pdf

12 Academic Honesty and Integrity Assurance

One of the signs that the course material has been properly understood is honesty when
accomplishing the assignments. Lack of academic integrity (e.g. plagiarism, copying another
person’s work, the use of unauthorized aids on examinations, cheating, facilitating acts of
academic dishonesty by others) will not be tolerated. Therefore, if students include ideas,
sentences, or other material that are not theirs in their work, they must properly quote the
source(s). Students are encouraged to consult with the instructor if they have any questions on the
issues of academic integrity or technical formatting of the references.
Upon suspicion and doubt of the authenticity of the work submitted, the Instructor has the right to
ask the student to verify her/his work. This can be done through, but not limited to, repeating the
work, oral examination or discussion, alternative or similar on spot class assignment, pop quiz, or
any other action deemed necessary. If the student fails to prove the authenticity of the work, then
the Instructor will apply the academic misconduct rules as mentioned in the GJU website in the
following link: gju_regulations_in_english_2020-2021_april_2021_0.pdf

Students are expected and encouraged to be honest and to maintain the highest standards of
academic integrity in their academic work and assignments at the University. Any act of Academic
Dishonesty may result in severe consequences for violations range from zero grades given for the
assignments, failing the course, and suspension from the University. Students will refrain from any
academic dishonesty or misconduct including, but not limited to:

• Plagiarism: the presentation of someone else’s ideas, words, or artistic, scientific, or

technical work as one’s own creation. Also, paraphrasing, summarizing, like direct
quotation, is considered as plagiarism, if the original source is not properly cited.
• Cheating: is an act of lying, deception, trickery, imposture, or imposition. Cheating
characteristically is employed to create an unfair advantage, usually in one’s own interest,
and often at the expense of others. The person who is sending or receiving assistance is
considered cheating.
• Assisting in cheating
• Substituting for another student in the taking of an examination
• Substituting examination booklets/papers
• Submitting the same work for more than one course
• Submitting papers and other work written by others
• Receiving or providing unauthorized help or assistance in any academic work or
assignment
• Intentional violation of program and degree requirements and regulations as established
by the University
• Dishonest reporting of computational, statistical, experimental, and research results, or
the like
• Using any format of smart or electronic devices as a tool of cheating
 For a detailed description of academic misconduct please refer to the GJU website in the
following link: gju_regulations_in_english_2020-2021_april_2021_0.pdf

13 Copyrights
Students are expected to adhere to copyright practices.

14 The need to study

BME students at GJU need to be well prepared for the rigorous curriculum and its applications. This
means the student needs to apply more quality for addressing the requirements of the courses in a
semester. BME students need to be effective in time management.

15 Teaching Methodology
The students are encouraged to participate in class and work in teams. Both individual and team
efforts are evaluated and rewarded. The students are motivated to make more effort in case
analysis in order to develop their critical thinking and communication skills.
There will be several teaching methods employed in the course which will include all or some of the
following: Interactive lectures; group work; case studies and discussions; lab work, debates;
assignments; multimedia; individual and team activities; field visits; guest lecturers; and project,
problem, and research based tasks; and analysis and reflection on scholarly textbooks and papers.
It is worth noting that some of the learning outcomes will be achieved through assignments,
projects, and activities.

16 The Project and team-based work

The Project component of the course, if exist, is essential to passing this course. The project shows
competency in understanding and applying the course objectives and achieving the learning
outcomes. The project should allow the student to investigate, apply, research, and practice real
life business situations. It is expected that each student to fully and actively participate in the
project as an effective team member. A project document will be distributed later in the semester
with details about the project.
For all group related work, the entire team is responsible for the team outcome and the
deliverables, except for the specific parts of the project that may be graded individually depending
on the project’s requirement and as communicated in the project document.
17 Activities, in class assignments, cases, and participation
The activities, assignments, and cases constitute a major learning tool of this course. It shows the
creative talent and abilities of students to add value to the content and learning outcomes of the
course. Students are encouraged to be creative, innovative, and critical when addressing the
deliverables of this learning assessment tool. It requires passion, critical thinking, and a challenging
spirit to come up with creative and outstanding deliverables. In class assignments are ongoing;
they will be mainly about subjects and topics presented on the same day of the lecture. These
assignments may be individual or group based. Active participation is encouraged which may
include answering questions, discussions, debating issues, and even to be involved in some lecturing
as requested!

18 Exams and Quizzes

Quizzes are ongoing, they are meant to assess learning, encourage continuous follow-up of the
course material, and to show student’s knowledge of specific topics and concepts. Quizzes may be
pop quizzes or otherwise so students are expected to be prepared and ready as quizzes may also
include material presented on the same day of the quiz.
Exams and tests are outlined in the course calendar. Exams are another important tool of
assessments used at GJU to assess learning. There are specific procedures for exams which will be
highlighted by the Instructor prior to the exam.
Midterm and final exams may be scheduled on different days and time than the regular class
meeting times, including on Saturdays.

19 Surveys
Any survey to be conducted by the student in relation to the course needs first to be approved
through the course instructor.

20 Specific Notes
NA
 21 Course Weekly Calendar

Reference Assignment/
Learning
Date Class Topic & Description in the
Outcomes Task/Notes
textbook

L1: Syllabus Review Ch14 a, b *

WEEK ONE
(FEB 26TH – FEB 28TH ) L2: Mass Transfer Introduction (Cengel) *See Section 4

L1: Analogy between heat and mass transfer a, b *

WEEK TWO Mass Diffusion Ch14
(MAR 5TH – MAR 7TH ) L2: Boundary Conditions Steady Mass *See Section 4
Diffusion through a Wall
WEEK THREE L1: Suggested problems Ch1 c, d *
*See Section 4
(MAR 12TH – MAR 14TH ) L2: Introduction to separation processes
L1: Absorption and Stripping - Introduction -
Theory - Applications c, d, e, g *
WEEK FOUR Ch6
*See Section 4
(MAR 19TH – MAR 21ST ) L2: Tray and Packed Columns Equilibrium
Lines Examples
L1: Operating Lines Graphical Method
Minimum Absorbent Flow Rate d, e, g*
WEEK FIVE Ch6
*See Section 4
(MAR 26TH – MAR 28TH )
L2: Number of Equilibrium Stages Examples

WEEK SIX L1: Rate based method. a, b, c, h *

CH6
(APR 2ND – APR 4TH ) L2: Suggested examples *See Section 4
L1: Binary Distillation: Industrial Examples First Exam on
Introduction Vapor Liquid Equilibrium Ch7 f, h, i. j *
WEEK SEVEN 9/4/2023 at
*See Section 4
(APR 9TH – APR 11TH ) L2: Design Consideration Design and 9:30 am.
Analysis Factors McCabe - Thiele Method
L1: Feed Stage Consideration - the q-line
Limiting Conditions: Minimum Number of
WEEK EIGHT h, i, j *
(APR 16TH – APR 18TH )
Stages Minimum Reflux Ratio Ch7
*See Section 4
L2: Number of equilibrium stages and feed
stage location. Example on limiting condition
L1: Examples on feed stage location and
total number of stages. h, i, j *
WEEK NINE Ch7
*See Section 4
(APR 23TH – APR 25TH )
L2: Plate Efficiency Local efficiency
Murphree Efficiency
WEEK ELEVEN
L1: Suggested problems Ch7 h, i, j *
(MAY 7TH – MAY 9TH )
 L2: Suggested examples *See Section 4

Second Exam
L1: Drying of Solids - Definitions - k, l* on 16/5/2023
WEEK TWELVE
Importance - Applications - Equipment Ch18
(MAY 14TH – MAY 16TH ) *See Section 4 at 9:30 am
L2: Drying of Solids - Psychrometry

WEEK THIRTEEN L1: Drying of Solids - Psychrometry k, l *

Ch18
(MAY 21ST – MAY 23RD ) L2: Drying of Solids - Psychrometry *See Section 4
L1: Drying of Solids - Moisture Content - k, l *
WEEK FOURTEEN
Drying Periods Ch18
(MAY28TH – MAY 30TH ) *See Section 4
L2: Drying rates
L1: Suggest examples
WEEK FIFTEEN k, l*
(JUN 4TH – JUN 6TH ) L2: Suggested examples Ch18
*See Section 4

WEEK SIXTEEN
(JUN 10TH – JUN 22ND ) Final Examination Week
Note: The instructor has the right to amend the content of this syllabus with prior notice given to students. The
most updated syllabus is on Moodle.