National University of Science and Technology

Department of Chemical Engineering

Mass Transfer 1B : Absorption Tutorial

1. Oxygen gas (A) and carbon dioxide (B) are kept in two adjacent storage vessels. The storage
vessels are maintained at a constant pressure of 1.0132 x 105 Pa pressure and temperature of
298K. A uniform tube 0.1-m long connects the two storage vessels.

The partial pressure of A in the oxygen tank is pA1 = 1.104 x 105 Pa whilst the partial pressure
in the CO2 vessel is, pA2 = 0.717 x 105 Pa. The diffusivity DAB = 0.230 x 10-4 m2/s. R = 8314
m3.Pa/kg-mole.K

(a) Calculate the flux JA at steady-state.

(b) Repeat for JB.

2. The gas CO2 (MW = 44) is diffusing at steady-state through a tube 20-cm long having
a diameter of 1.0-cm and containing N2 (MW = 28) at 298 K. The total pressure is
constant at 101.32 kPa. The partial pressure of CO2 at one end is 456 mm-Hg and 76
mm-Hg at the other end. The diffusivity DAB is 0.167 cm2 /s at 298 K. Calculate the
flux of CO2 in N2.

Repeat your calculations if the diffusion is between (a) H2 (MW = 2) and N2, where the
diffusivity DAB is 0.784 cm2 /s at 298 K, and (b) NH3 (MW = 17) and N2 , where the
diffusivity DAB is 0.230 cm2 /s at 298 K.. Discuss your results.

Comments on your results.

3. Ammonia gas (A) is diffusing through air (B) under steady-state conditions, with the
air non-diffusing. The total pressure is 1 x 103 N/m2, and the temperature 0 oC. The
diffusion path is 1.7 mm. The partial pressures of ammonia at the 2 ends are 11500
and 5400 N/m2 respectively. The diffusivity of the mixture is 1.87 x 10-5 m2/s.

Calculate the molar flux of ammonia in the mixture. Given R = 8314 (m3.Pa)/(kg-mole.K)

4. Ammonia gas (component-A) and nitrogen gas (component-B) are diffusing in

counter-diffusion through a straight glass tube 0.610-m long with an inside diameter of 24.4-
mm at 298 K and 101.32 kPa. Both ends of the tube are connected to a large mixed chambers
at 101.32 kPa. The partial pressure of NH3 in one chamber is constant at 20.0 kPa and 6.666
kPa in the other chamber. The diffusivity at 298 K and 101.32 kPa is 2.30 x 10-5 m2/s.

(a) Calculate the diffusion of NH3 in kg-mole/s

(b) Calculate the diffusion of N2 in kg-mole/s
(c) Calculate the partial pressures at a point 0.305-m in the tube.

5. The solute A is being absorbed from a gas mixture of A and B in a column. The column is
operating at 298 K and 1.013 x 105 Pa. At a certain point along the column the bulk gas
concentration is yAG = 0.380 (mole fraction) and the bulk liquid concentration is xAL = 0.100
(mole fraction). The solute A diffuses through a non-diffusing B in the gas phase and then
through the non-diffusing liquid.

From appropriate correlations for mass transfer, the film mass transfer coefficients for solute
A in the gas and liquid phases are ky = 1.465 x 10-3 kg-mole A/(m2.s.mole fraction) and kx =
1.967 x 10-3 kg-mole A/(m2.s.mole fraction) respectively.

Determine the mole fraction of solute A at the interface, yAi and xAi and calculate the flux NA
for both gas and liquid phases (in kg-mole A/m2.s).

The equilibrium solubility data at 298 K and 1.013 x 105 Pa are as follows:

x 0 0,05 0,10 0,15 0,20 0,25 0,30 0,35

y 0 0,022 0,052 0,087 0,131 0,187 0,265 0,385

6. In a gas absorption column, an air-H2S mixture is flowing counter-currently with water

which is flowing as a thin film. The H2S (component A) is being absorbed from the air into
the water at an operating temperature of 30oC and total pressure of 1.50 atm (abs).

At a given point in the column, the mole fraction of H2S in the liquid at the gas-liquid
interface is 2.0 x 10-5 and the partial pressure of H2S in the bulk gas phase is 0.05 atm. The
mass transfer coefficient in the gas phase kC has been estimated to be 9.567 x 10-4 kg-
mole/(m2.s.kg-mole.m-3). The equilibrium relationship for the system can be described by
Henry's Law as pA = 609 xA where pA is measured in atm and xA is the mole fraction of A in
the liquid.

Given R = 82.057 x 10-3 m3.atm/kg-mole.K, determine the rate of absorption of H2S in kg-
mole/m2.s using the following mass transfer equation:

NA=KC(CAG-CAi) ; where CA is concentration of A in kg-mole/m3.