THEORY

The Armfield apparatus consists essentially of a glass capillary tube placed in a transparent-sided
temperature controlled water bath. A horizontal glass tube is fixed to the upper end of the
capillary tube and air is blown through this by a small air pump included within the unit. This
arrangement allows the maintenance of a partial pressure difference within the capillary
tube between the evaporating liquid surface and the flowing air stream. A travelling microscope,
with sliding vernier scale, is mounted on a rigid stand alongside the thermostatic bath and is used
to measure the rate of fall of the solvent/air meniscus within the capillary. CER a Gaseous
Diffusion Coefficients Apparatus. The relation between the measured molar mass transfer rate
(NA per unit area), the partial pressure gradient and the diffusion coefficient D is deduced
from the one dimensional steady state version of Ficks Law with bulk flow. The vapour of
a volatile liquid in air diffusivity can be determined by using Winklemanns method. In which
liquid was contained in a narrow diameter vertical tube, maintained at a constant temperature
and an airstream is passed through over the top of the tube. These are to ensure that the vapour
partial pressure was been transferred from the liquid surface to the air stream by molecular
diffusion.

The derivation of equation to solve the objectives:

A) Rate of mass transfer, NA

NA = D.

CA
C
)
(
)
. CBM
L

Where, D is diffusivity (m2s-1)

L is efective distance of mass transfer (mm)
CA is saturation concentration at interface (kmol.m-3)
C is total molar concentration, C = CA + CB (kmol.m-3)
CBM is log mean molecular concentration of vapour (kmol.m-3)

B) Evaporation of liquid
From (A) equation, consider the evaporation of liquid

NA = D.

L
)
M

dL
)
dt

Therefore,
D.

CA
C
L
dL
)
(
)
( )
( )
. CBM
=. M
. dt
L

Where;
L is density of liquid (kg/m3)
M is molecular weight (kg/kmol)

APPARATUS
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.

Gas Diffusion Apparatus

Acetone
Water bath
Microscope
Capillary tube
Syringe
Stop watch

Figure 1 shows Gas Diffusion

PROCEDURE
1. The distillate water was filled into the water bath until 35mm of the capillary tube was
obtained.
2. The capillary tube is then filled with acetone until the height is approximately 35mm with
use syringe.
3. The air pump tube is filled into the capillary tube until it had fully covered the entire
upper side of the capillary tube then the capillary tube is inserted into the water bath.
4. The vertical height of the microscope was then adjusted until the capillary tube was
visible.
5. If the capillary tube was not visible, the distance from the object lens was adjusted to the
tank until the meniscus of the acetone inside the capillary tube was clearer and if
necessary the position of the viewing lens in or out the microscope body can be adjusted.
6. When the capillary tube was viewed, the image of the meniscus will be upside down so
that the bottom of the meniscus of acetone would be at the top of image.
7. When the meniscus of the acetone has been determined, the sliding vernier scale
should be aligned with a suitable graduation on the fixed scale.
8. The air pump and the water bath heater are turned on.
9. The initial value of the acetone inside the capillary was observed and recorded.
10. The temperature was set to 40 C and a steady temperature was obtained.
11. The level of the acetone inside the capillary was recorded for every 2 minutes. The
experiment was then repeated at 2 different temperatures of 45 C and 50 C.

http://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/i100017a008