Department of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering

THE NATIONAL UNIVERSITY of SINGAPORE

Chemical Engineering Process Laboratory II

Experiment M2

Determination of Liquid Diffusion Coefficient

Name : Erick Hadinata A0169493M

Tay Hong Wei A018

Muhammad Daniaal A018

Group : 4

Date of Expt. : 1st April 2019

GRADE :
Objective

The objective of the experiment is to determine the diffusion coefficient of

acetone vapour at different temperature.

Theory

In this experiment, Winklemann’s method will be used to determine the

diffusivity of volatile liquid which we used acetone in this case. Liquid is
contained in a narrow diameter vertical tube, maintained at a constant
temperature and an air stream is passed over the top of the tube to ensure
that the partial pressure of the vapor is transferred from the surface of the
liquid to the air stream by molecular diffusion.

The rate of mass transfer if given by

 C  C 
N ' A  D  A  T  (Equation 1)
 L  C BM 

Where
CA Saturation concentration at interface ( kmol / m 3 )
3
C BM Log mean molecular concentration of vapor ( kmol / m )

C B1  C B 2
C BM 
C 
ln B1 
 CB2 

CT Total molar concentration

L Effective distance of mass transfer (mm)
D Diffusivity ( m 2 / s )

Considering the evaporation of the liquid,

   dL 
N A'   L   (Equation 2)
 M  dt 

From Equation 1 & 2 for mass balance, we have

  L  dL   C A  C T 
    D   
 M  dt   L  C BM 

Integrating and putting L=L0 at t=0

 2 MD  C A CT 
L2  L20    t
  L  C BM 
Plotting

   C    L C BM 
  L  BM L  L0   
t
 L0
L  L0  2 MD  C A CT   MD  C A CT 

The slope can be found as

 L C BM
S
2 MD  C A CT

 L C BM
D
2 MS  C A CT

Therefore, the diffusivity can be calculated.

Apparatus

 Gas dispersion or gaseous coefficient apparatus

 Water bath
 Microscope
 Capillary tube
 Thermometer
 Acetone
Experiment Procedure

Temperature controller
Capillary tube

Air pump switch

Vernier scale

Microscope Heater switch

 A capillary tube was filled with acetone by using syringe.

 The air pump and water bath temperature was switched on.
 The air pump was tested and adjusted.
 The water temperature was set up to 40oC and wait until the steady
temperature was reached.
 The capillary tube was then put inside the water bath and the air pump
tube was placed on other side of the capillary tube.
 The height of the microscope was adjusted until the capillary tube is
visible. If the capillary tube is visible, the distance from the object lens to
the tank is adjusted.
 The position of sight microscope lens was adjusted in or out of the
microscope body in order to get clear view of the meniscus inside the
capillary tube.
 When viewing the meniscus. Take note that the image seen is inverted
 The level inside the capillary tube (L) was recorded at t = 0 min and every
30 minutes and take minimum four reading which is at 30,60,90 and 120
minutes
 The experiment is repeated at temperature of 50oC.
Tabulation & Calculation

Table 1: Experimental Data – operational temperature 40oC

Height of
Liquid Height of
Liquid t
Time (t) Time (t) Meniscus Liquid ( L  Lo)
Evaporated
min sec Reading x Evaporated
[(L – Lo) x sec/m
0.75 (mm) (m)
0.75] (mm)
0 0 1.05 0 0 0
30 1800 2.14 1.09 0.00109 1651376
60 3600 3.08 2.03 0.00203 1773399
90 5400 3.98 2.93 0.00293 1843003
120 7200 4.88 3.83 0.00383 1879896

Table 2: Experimental Data – operational temperature 50oC

Height of
Liquid Height of
Liquid t
Time (t) Time (t) Meniscus Liquid ( L  Lo)
Evaporated
min sec Reading x Evaporated
[(L – Lo) x sec/m
0.75 (mm) (m)
0.75] mm
0 0 0.75 0 0 0
30 1800 2.29 1.54 0.00154 1168831
60 3600 3.60 2.85 0.00285 1263158
90 5400 4.80 4.05 0.00405 1333333
120 7200 6.00 5.25 0.00525 1371429

Given Acetone Physical Properties at 40oC

Determination of molar mass at 40oC

 1  Tabs 
CT   
 Kmol  Vol  Ta 

 1   273.313 
=  
 22.4   40  273.313 

kmol
= 0.0389
m3

CB1  CT

kmol
= 0.0389
m3

P 
C A   v   CT
 Pa 

 56 
=   0.0389
 101.3 

kmol
= 0.0215
m3

 P  Pv 
C B 2   a   CT
 Pa 

 101.3  56 
=   0.0389
 101 .3 

kmol
= 0.0174
m3
 C A 2  CT  CB 2

= (0.0389 – 0.0174)

kmol
= 0.0215
m3

CB1  CB 2
CBM 
C 
In B1 
 CB 2 

0.0389  0.0174
=  0.0389 
ln 
 0.0174 

kmol
= 0.0267
m3

Determination of slope s of resultant curve at 40oC

(L – Lo) m 0.00109 0.00203 0.00293 0.00383

t
( L  Lo) 1651376 1773399 1843003 1879896
sec/m

𝑡/(𝐿−𝐿𝑜) vs (L-Lo)
1950000

1900000

1850000

1800000
t/(L-Lo)

𝑡/(𝐿−𝐿𝑜) vs (L-Lo)
1750000
y = 8E+07x + 2E+06
1700000 R² = 0.9444

1650000

1600000
0 0.0005 0.001 0.0015 0.002 0.0025 0.003 0.0035 0.004 0.0045
(𝐿−𝐿𝑜)
 L C BM L C BM
Slope S = 8 x 107 =  or D = 
2 MD C A  CT 2sM C A  CT

760×0.0267
 D =( )
2×(8×107 )×58.08×0.0215×0.0389

= 2.61 × 10−6 m2/s

Given Acetone Physical Properties at 50oC

*Note: The vapour pressure given above is incorrect so we can determine the
vapour pressure by using Antoine Equation

Antoine Equation: ln P = A – 
B 

T  C 

For Acetone,

A = 14.3145

B = 2756.22

C = 228.060

At 50oC

 2756.22 
ln P = 14.3145 –  
 50  228.060 

P = 81.6 kN / m2
Determination of molar mass at 50˚C

 1  Tabs 
CT   
 Kmol  Vol  Ta 

 1   273.303 
=  
 22.4   50  273.303 

kmol
= 0.0377
m3

CB1  CT

kmol
= 0.0377
m3

P 
C A   v   CT
 Pa 

 81.6 
=   0.0377 
 101.3 

kmol
= 0.0304
m3

 P  Pv 
C B 2   a   CT
 Pa 

101.3−81.6
=( )  (0.0377)
101.3
𝑘𝑚𝑜𝑙
= 0.00733
𝑚3

C A 2  CT  CB 2

= (0.0377 − 0.00733)

𝑘𝑚𝑜𝑙
= 0.0304
𝑚3
 CB1  CB 2
CBM 
C 
In B1 
 CB 2 

0.0377−0.00733
=( 0.0377 )
𝑙𝑛( )
0.00733

𝑘𝑚𝑜𝑙
= 0.0497
𝑚3

Determination of slope s of resultant curve at 50oC

(L – Lo) m 0.00154 0.00285 0.00405 0.00525

t
( L  Lo) 1168831 1263158 1333333 1371429
sec/m

𝑡/(𝐿−𝐿𝑜) vs (L – Lo)
1400000

1350000

1300000
𝑡/((𝐿−𝐿𝑜))

1250000 y = 6E+07x + 1E+06 𝑡/(𝐿−𝐿𝑜) vs (L – Lo)

R² = 0.9731 Linear (𝑡/(𝐿−𝐿𝑜) vs (L – Lo) )
1200000

1150000

1100000
0.001 0.002 0.003 0.004 0.005 0.006
(𝐿−𝐿𝑜)

L C BM L C BM
Slope S = 6 x 107 =  or D = 
2 MD C A  CT 2sM C A  CT

775×0.0497
 D =( )
2×(6×107 )×58.08×0.0304×0.0377

= 4.82× 10−6 m2/s

Discussion

Vapor pressure, PV  56 ( kN / m ) at T=40˚C is given, when the temperature

2

of the acetone, vapor pressure should increase with the increasing

temperature. However, according to appendix in the reference book (Refer to
the Reference part of the report), vapor pressure at T=50˚C was given as
PV  40 ( kN / m 2 ), which is wrong according to the correlation between
vapour pressure and temperature. In this case, Antoine Equation
 B 
ln P  A    is then used to calculate PV at T=50˚C.
T  C 

From the experimental data obtained, the diffusivity of acetone vapour were
calculated for 40˚C and 50˚C:

Temperature Diffusivity

40˚C 2.61 × 10−6 m2/s

50˚C 4.82× 10−6 m2/s

From the table above, it can be observed that the value of diffusivity is directly
proportional to the temperature. The higher the temperature is, the diffusivity
of the acetone vapour will also increase. Diffusion is the motion of molecules
that moves from a region of higher liquid concentration to a region of lower
liquid concentration and the motion is also further increased by the increase in
temperature due to a higher temperature, the kinetic energy generated by
molecules is also higher which also will excite the molecules more, increasing
the overall diffusivity of the acetone vapour.

The temperature range used in this experiment is between 40 to 50 degree

Celsius which is sufficient and suitable temperature test condition. As we
know, the boiling point of acetone is 56.5˚C and if we did the experiment at
the temperature above the boiling point of acetone then the diffusivity that we
obtained by calculation might not be feasible. This is because of the physical
properties and nature of the acetone which is considered volatile. An increase
in pressure will have a significant effect on the overall volatility of the acetone
solution. Since increase in temperature also means that the increase in
pressure, then increase in temperature also effects the overall volatility of the
solution. Therefore, the temperature value selected for the conduct of the
experiment must not exceed the boiling point of the acetone because it will
increase the volatility properties of acetone which will affect the accuracy of
the meniscus reading.

Error Analysis

 The scale of the microscope is very small and the line marking scale of
every 1mm (0.75mm for the vernier scale) were close to each other and
also the eye position of the person reading the scale is important. The
eyesight should be parallel to the scale which might contribute to
parallax error.
 The liquid in the narrow tube was moving at a speed that is very difficult
to measure even by using the microscope to observe the liquid level in
the tube and by the time the meniscus height values were taken, they
were not the actual values that corresponded to the time as there were
delays in taking the reading (phone camera focus adjustment contribute
to the time lapses) which contributed to the inaccuracy in calculating
t
as the time taken were not exactly at 30, 60, 90 and 120
( L  Lo)
minutes which in this case we assumed that the time taken were exactly
at every 30 minutes to ease calculations
 Two different instruments were used for T= 40˚C and 50˚C, which might
have some deviations in terms of thermostat calibration curve which
definitely is different from one to another

Conclusion

It can be concluded that temperature directly affects the rate of diffusion of

the acetone vapour. Diffusion will happen at a faster rate when the
surrounding temperature is higher. Increase in temperature explains that there
is more kinetic energy generated by the molecules, causing molecules to move
at a faster rate and faster spreading of molecules over to the air, which also
means higher diffusion rate Therefore, the higher the temperature, the higher
the diffusivity of the vapour. The conclusion made is correct as supported by
the calculations that the diffusivity of the acetone at 40 degree is lower as
compared to at 50 degree which values are 2.61 × 10−6 m2/s and 4.82× 10−6
m2/s.
Reference

 Welty, J.R., Wicks, C.E., Wilson, R.E., Fundamentals of Momentum, Heat

and Mass Transfer, John Wiley and Sons, New York, NY (1984).
 Christie John Geankoplis (University of Minnesota), Transport Processes
and Separation Process Principles (Includes Unit Operations) – fourth
edition, Pearson Education International.