Gas Absorption Introduction Absorption is the incorporation of a substance in one state into another of a different state.

This is observed when liquids are being absorbed by a solid or gases being absorbed by a liquid. For example, crisp finger chips turn sulky after it absorbed moisture from the air. On the other hand, adsorption is the physical adherence or bonding of ions and molecules onto the surface of another phase . This can be observed when reagents are adsorbed to solid catalyst surface. For example, solid pellet carbon adsorbs the red dye when dissolve in water.

Figure 1.1 Crisp finger Chips (absorption) and Red dye solution (Adsorption) We can apply both chemical processes in the removal of spillage like water by means of tissue or paper. Removal by means of tissue exhibits absorption wherein the liquid molecules are being saturated to the hole of the medium. It is mixed well with the mediums environment that it is recognized as a separate entity. However, the removal by means of paper exhibits adsorption wherein the liquid molecules are attached at the surface of the medium where it can easily be held and dropped off. Gas absorption, also known as scrubbing, is an operation wherein a liquid and a gas come into contact with each other with the purpose of dissolving one or more soluble components of the gas mixture and to transfer these in the liquid phase. Gas absorption pertains to the transfer of a soluble component of a gas phase into a liquid absorbent that is relatively non-volatile. The solute is then absorbed by the liquid. There is mass transfer in the transfer of solute between the two phases involved. The absorption of the components of a gas by the liquid is dependent on the solubility of the gas. To perform gas absorption, two streams can be made to pass through several different media. According to Mc Cabe, it is a process wherein a soluble vapor is absorbed from its mixture with an inert gas by means of a liquid in which the solute gas is more or less soluble. In

a common sense it is the transfer of a gaseous component (absorbate) from the gas phase to a liquid (absorbent) through a gas-liquid interphase. A common example is the washing of ammonia from a mixture of ammonia and air by means of liquid water. The reverse process of absorption is called desorption, or stripping, which involves the removal of a liquid component by contact with a gas phase. In this process, the transfer of the soluble gas is from the liquid to the gas phase due to the concentration in the liquid being greater than that in equilibrium with the gas. General Principles: The absorption process requires the following steps: (1) diffusion of the solute gas molecules through the host gas to the liquid boundary layer based on a concentration gradient. (2) solvation of the solute gas in the host liquid based on gas-liquid solubility. (3) diffusion of the solute gas based on concentration gradient, thus depleting the liquid boundary layer and permitting further solvation. The removal of the solute gas from the boundary layer is often accomplished by adding neutralizing agents to the host liquid to change the molecular form of the solute gas. This process is called absorption accompanied by chemical reaction. For gas absorption in its simplest case, the liquid absorbent does not vaporize and the gas has only one soluble component. For the more complex cases of absorption, a portion of the absorbent may undergo vaporization and several components may be absorbed. For the equipment used in absorption, the liquid absorbent is below its bubble point and the gas phase is well above its dew point. Between distillation and gas absorption, the further difference is that the liquid and gas phases usually do not have all of the same components. The heat effects in absorption are caused by the heat of solution of the absorbed gas, as opposed to the heats of vaporization and condensation involved in distillation. Absorption allows the addition of a component to the system. Usually, there is the removal of solute from the absorbent. For the removal, it is necessary to have a distillation column, a desorber, or some other separation process. Objectives: The objectives of this discussion are to understand the basic principles behind gas absorption, illustrate the importance of gas absorption and its industrial applications, and apply material balance and mass transfer formulas for the solving of problems regarding gas absorption.

Industrial Applications: Absorption and desorption have a wide range of applications in the chemical industry. The absorption of hydrogen chloride gas in water results to the production of hydrochloric acid. The absorption of air is necessary for the aerobic fermentation of sewage sludge. The absorption of carbon dioxide is needed for the carbonation of soft drinks. There is some desorption that takes place upon opening of the bottle and as the pressure is lessened. Gas absorption is the chief method for controlling industrial air pollution, and generally aims at separation of acidic impurities from mixed gas streams. Impurities include carbon dioxide, hydrogen sulfide, and organic sulfur compounds, the most important being CO2. It is also used in amine absorption and regeneration unit whereby toxic H2S gas from a fuel gas mixture is removed by liquid amine (DEA, MEA or glycol). Another application is gas dehydration when an insoluble gas is dried by contact with a dehydrating liquid. An example is in the drying of chlorine using 98 wt% sulfuric acid. Furthermore, it is also used in emission sampling trains to capture gaseous pollutants by "bubbling" the gas through liquid in the impingers.

Figure 1.2 A gas dehydration unit.

Theory: Gas absorption is a unit operation in which a soluble component of a gas is transferred into a relatively non-volatile liquid absorbent. There is a mass transfer of the component of the gas from the gas phase into the liquid phase. We say that the solute transferred is being absorbed by the liquid.The liquid used in a gas absorption process is referred to as the absorbent and the component(s) absorbed is called the absorbate(s). In the simplest case of absorption, none of the liquid absorbent vaporizes and the gas contains only one soluble constituent. In more complex cases of absorption, several components may be absorbed, and part of the absorbent may vaporize.

PRINCIPLES OF ABSORPTION Film Concept in Mass Transfer Gas absorption operation is based on the mass transfer from the gas phase to the liquid phase. In this, the gas molecules must diffuse from the main body of the gas phase to the gasliquid interface, then cross this interface into the liquid side and finally diffuses from the interface into the main body of the liquid.

Figure 1. Typical Gas- Liquid Interface The figure above shows a typical gas-liquid interface and this interface can represent any location in the gas absorption equipment where the gas contacts the liquid. In the gas phase, 3 flow regimes can be visualized: 1.) a laminar film with molecular diffusion, 2.) a transition zone with some turbulence and 3.) a laminar film with molecular diffusion. These phenomena are

difficult to analyze. Instead, we will use a simplified TWO-FILM THEORY as a basis for analysis as well as development of various correlations of mass transfer phenomena. Two-Film Theory of Mass Transfer Let us consider the simplified liquid-gas interface in Figure 2. This interface can represent any point in the gas absorption equipment where the gas contacts the liquid as shown in Figure 3. We will study the diffusion of solute A from the gas phase into the liquid phase, for example NH3 that is diffusing from an gaseous air-NH3 mixture into liquid phase water.

Figure 2. Simplified Liquid- Gas Interface Figure 3. Countercurrent gas absorption column Here are the assumptions to be considered for two-film theory: 1. Steady state: concentrations at any point in the tower do not change with time. Interface between the gas phase and the liquid phase is a sharp boundary. 2. Laminar film exists at the interface on both sides of the interface. 3. Equilibrium exists at the interface, thus, there is negligible resistance to mass transfer across the interface: : (xi, yi) is the equilibrium concentration 4. No chemical reaction: rate of diffusion across the gas-phase film must equal the rate of diffusion across the liquid-phase film.

Material balances

Va ya La xa L V

Vb yb

Lb xb

Figure 2. Material-balance for packed column

Figure 1 shows a packed absorption tower. In this, variations in composition are continuous from one end of the equipment to the other. Material balances for the above portion of the column (blue), are as follows: Overall Material Balance: La + V = L + Va (Eqn 1)

Component A Material Balance: Laxa+Vy = Lx + Vaya (Eqn 2) -where V and L are the molal flow rates of the gas phase and liquid phase, respectively. The Lphase and V-phase concentrations of x and y apply to this same location.

For the below portion (green), the material balances are as follows: Overall Material Balance: La + Vb = Lb + Va (Eqn 3)

Component A Material Balance: Laxa+Vbyb = Lbxb + Vaya (Eqn 4) The relationship between x and y at any point in the column is obtained by rearranging (Eqn 2). This is called the operating-line equation. y = (L/V)x + (Vaya- Laxa)/V (Eqn 5)

The operating line can be plotted on a cartesian plane along with the equilibrium curve. The operating line must lie above the equilibrium line in order for absorption to take place, since this gives a positive driving force y-y* for absorption.

Figure 3. Operating line and Equilibrium Curve In the operating line equation, x and y represents the bulk compositions of the liquid and gas, respectively, which are in contact with each other at any given section through the column. Compositions at a given elevation are assumed to be independent of position in the packing. The absorption of a soluble component from a gas mixture makes the total gas rate V decrease as the gas passes through the column, and the flow of liquid L increases. These changes make the operating line slightly curved. For dilute mixtures, containing less than 10% of soluble gas, the effect of changes in total flow is usually ignored and the design is based on the average flow rates. (McCabe, 2001)

Figure 4. Minimum L/V ratio Multicomponent absorption Multicomponent absorption is a more complex case of gas absorption wherein several components of the gas is absorbed from the gas mixture. Also, separate equilibrium and operating lines are needed for each solute, but the slope of the operating line, which is L/V, is the same for all the solutes. Desorption Desorption or stripping, is the opposite of absorption. In this case, the soluble gas is transferred from the liquid to the gas phase, because the concentration in the liquid is greater than that of the equilibrium with the gas. For example, ammonia can be stripped from an aqueous solution by bubbling fresh air through the solution. The entering air contains no ammonia and the liquid does, so transfer is from the liquid to the gas. (Foust, 1960) In desorption, the absorbed solute from the gas mixture is then desorbed from the liquid to recover the solute in more concentrated form and regenerate the absorbing solution. To make conditions more favorable for desorption, the temperature may be increased or the total pressure reduced, or both these changes may be made. If the absorption is carried out under high pressure, a large fraction of the solute can sometimes be recovered simply by flashing to atmospheric pressure. However, for nearly complete removal of the solute, several stages are generally needed, and the desorption or stripping is carried out in a column with countercurrent flow of liquid and gas. Inert gas or steam can be used as the stripping medium, but solute recovery is easier if steam is used, since the steam can be condensed.