MASS

TRANSFER
CHE 545
Harumi Veny (DR)
 1.0. Introduction to Mass
Transfer and Diffusion
 OPERATION: Changes in composition of
solution

 CHARACTERIZATION: transfer of substance

from one through another on a molecular
scale

 RATE : - tranfer from one phase to another

- the transfer stops when equilibrium is
attained
1.1 Similarity of Mass, Heat and
Momentum Transfer Processes

MOMENTUM HEAT MASS

𝑑𝑟𝑖𝑣𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑓𝑜𝑟𝑐𝑒
𝑅𝑎𝑡𝑒 𝑜𝑓 𝑎 𝑡𝑟𝑎𝑛𝑠𝑓𝑒𝑟 𝑝𝑟𝑜𝑐𝑒𝑠𝑠 =
𝑟𝑒𝑠𝑖𝑠𝑡𝑎𝑛𝑐𝑒

𝑑Γ
𝛹𝑧 = −𝛿
𝑑𝑧

unit transfer of a quantity / unit time/unit area

 MOMENTUM HEAT MASS

Fluid flow Conductive Distillation

Mixing Convective Absorption

Sedimentation Evaporation Drying

Filtration Distillation Liquid-liquid

extraction

Drying Adsorption

Ion exchange
 1.2 Examples of Mass-Transfer
Processes
 Mass transfer occur:
When a component in a mixture migrates in the same phase
or from phase to phase due to a difference in concentration
between two points

 Examples:
- liquid in open pail evaporates
- a piece of sugar add to cup of a coffee
- drop of dye into water
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Peg1yaB2bsk
- distillation of water-ethanol
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8v80BQN-6r8
A drop of dye into water

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Peg1yaB2bsk
 Distillation of water-ethanol

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8v80BQN-6r8
 Basic mechanisms in mass transfer:

 Molecular diffusion:
Transfer of individual molecules through fluid by
means of movements (individually random)

 Turbulent (eddy) diffusion:

Diffusion by random macroscopic fluid motion

Convection effect :
• Both molecular and/or eddy diffusion frequently involve
the movement of different species in opposing directions
• When a net flow occurs in one of opposing directions, the
total rate of mass transfer of individual species is increased
or decreased by convection effect
1.3 Fick’s Law for Molecular
Diffusion
 Direction: High to low concentration region

https://cellspd5spering.wikispaces.com/Diffusion

 Path: Random-walk
 Random walk during diffusion of particles

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1jYabtziQZo
 Fick’s law for binary mixture of A and B:

∗ 𝒅𝒙𝑨
𝑱𝑨𝒛 = −𝒄𝑫𝑨𝑩
𝒅𝒛

Or
∗ 𝑑𝑐𝐴
𝐽𝐴𝑧 = −𝐷𝐴𝐵
𝑑𝑧
where:
𝑱𝑨𝒛 ∗ = Flux of component A in kg mol A/s.𝒎𝟐
𝒄 = total conc. of A and B in kg mol mixture/𝒎𝟑
𝒙𝑨 = mole fraction of A in mixture
𝒄𝑨 = total constant concentration of A
Example 1.1
Consider the diffusion of hydrogen in air at
T= 298 K. Determine the species flux in molar
bases if the concentration gradient at
particular location is 1 kmol/𝑚3 , if 𝐷𝐴𝐵 is
0.4 𝑥 10−4 𝑚2 /𝑠
 1.4 Convective Mass-Transfer
Coefficients
 Rate of convective mass transfer :

𝑁𝐴 = 𝑘𝑐 𝑐𝐿1 − 𝑐𝐿𝑖

Where:
𝑘𝑐 = a mass transfer coefficient in m/s
𝑐𝐿1 =bulk fluid concentration in kg mol A/𝑚3
𝑐𝐿𝑖 = concentration in fluid next to surface of the solid
Diffusivity or diffusion coefficient
 *A constant due to molecular diffusion
 *See table 6.2-1 for various diffusion coefficient of
gases

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KRLNDTmBFZY
Example 1.2
A mixture of Helium and Nitrogen gas is
contained in a pipe at 298 K and 1 atm of
total pressure is constant throughout. At one
end of the pipe at point 1 the partial
pressure of Helium is 0.6 atm and at the
other end 0.2 m which is point 2, partial
pressure is 0.2 atm. Calculate the flux of
Helium at steady state.
Example 1.3
A mixture of He and air is contained in a
pipe at 298 K and 1 atm total pressure
which is constant throughout. At one end of
the pipe at point 1 the partial pressure 𝑝𝐴1
of He is 0.5 atm and the other end 0.25 m
(25 cm) 𝑝𝐴2 = 0.1 atm. Calculate the flux of
He at steady state if 𝐷𝐴𝐵 of the He- 𝑁2
mixture is 0.58 x 10−4 𝑚2 /𝑠. Use SI and cgs
unit.
Exercises
 Problems 6.1-1
 Problems 6.1-2
Problem 6.1-1
A gas of methane and helium is
contained in a tube at 101.32 kPa
pressure and 298 K. At one point the
partial pressure of methane is 60.79 kPa,
and at a point 0.02 m distance away is
20.26 kPa. If the total pressure is constant
throughout the tube. Calculate the flux of
methane at steady state.
EXERCISE 1
A mixture of ammonia-air through film 0.25 mm
thick. The total pressure is 2 atm. And
temperature is 50 C. The concentration of two
sides on the film are 0.02 and 0.01 kg.mol/𝑚3 ,
respectively. Diffusivity of ammonia in air is
1.3285x 10−5 .
a) Find partial pressure for each point
b) Calculate the flux in kg/h if diffusion through
1 𝑚2 surface and MW of ammonia is 17
kg/kg.mol
EXERCISE 2
In an hydrogen-methane gas mixture at 1
std atm, 0𝑜 C, the concentration of hidrogen
at two planes 3 mm apart are 30 and 20
vol%. Calculate the flux of diffusion of the
oxygen. If diffusivity of hidrogen in methane
−5 𝑚 2
is 6.25 x 10 𝑠
Reference
Geankoplis, C.J. (2014). Transport Processes
and Separation Process Principle, 4th
Edition. New York: Prentice Hall