TECHNOLOGICAL INSTITUTE OF THE PHILIPPINES

363 P. CASAL ST., QUIAPO, MANILA

COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING AND ARCHITECTURE
CHEMICAL ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT

EXPERIMENT NO. 1: DIFFUSION OF LIQUIDS THROUGH STAGNANT NON-DIFFUSING AIR

SUBMITTED BY:

SUBMITTED TO:

NOVEMBER 20, 2014

EXPERIMENT NO.1
DIFFUSION OF LIQUIDS THROUGH STAGNANT NON-DIFFUSING AIR
Discussion:
Diffusion is the movement, under the influence of a physical stimulus, of an individual
component thorugh a mixture. Although the usual cause of diffusion is a cncetration gradient,
diffusion can also be caused by an activity gradient, as in reverse osmosis, by a pressure gradient,
by a temperature gradient, or by the application of an external force field, as in centrifuge. Diffusion
is not restricted to molecular transfer through stagnat layers of solid or fluid. Sometime diffusion
process is accompanied by bulk flow of the mixture in a direction parrallel to the direction of
diffusion, and it is often associated with heat flow. In all mass-transfer operations, diffusion occurs
in at least one phase and often in both phases.
Diffusivities are best established by experimental measurements, and where such
information is available for the system of interes, it should be used directly. One method for
determining molecular diffusivity is through capillary tube method. This method evaporates pure
liquids in a narrow tube with gas passed through the top of the binary mixture. The difference
between the initial and final height was measured with respect to time. The diffusivity is computed
from:
(
)
(
)
Another is using the Chapman and Enskog equation, which is:
(
Where:
DAB = diffusivity (m2/s)
T = temperature (K)
MA and MB = molecular weight of A and B
DAB = collision integral
AB = average collision
Materials:

Water Bath
5 Capillary Tubes
Vernier Caliper
Timer
3 Iron Stand
3 Iron clamp
Fan
Cork
Ethanol
Ethyl Acetate
Tert Butyl Alcohol

)0.5

Procedure:
1. Prepare the water bath and fill it with tap water and set it at 50C
2. Fill the capillary tube with pure volatile organic liquids and measure the initial height of the
liquid.
3. Provide a gentle stream of air by fan.
4. Measure the height of the remaining liquid in the capillary tubes after 10 and 15 minutes.
5. Repeat procedure 2 -4 for trial 2 (water bath temperature = 65 ) and trial 3 (water bath
temperature = 80 .)
6. Compare the results with those obtained using Chapman and Engskog equation and other
empirical equation.
Experminental Set-Up:

Data and Results:

Trial 1: 50

Ethanol
Ethyl Acetate

Chapman and
Engskog equation
1.32 x10-5
9.13 x10-6

Other empirical
equation
1.4 x10-5
1.05 x10-5

Tert-butyl Alcohol

9.533 x10-6

1 x10-5

Chapman and
Engskog equation
1.44 x10-5
9.95 x10-6
1.037 x10-5

Other empirical
equation
1.53 x10-5
1.14 x10-5
1.09 x10-5

Ethanol

Chapman and
Engskog equation
1.57x10-5

Other empirical
equation
1.66 x10-5

Ethyl Acetate
Tert-butyl Alcohol

1.08 x10-5
1.13 x10-5

1.23 x10-5
1.18 x10-5

@ 50 :
Liquid
Ethanol

Z2 (cm)
8

Z1 (cm)
7.9

Ethyl Acetate

8.8

8.5

Tert-butyl Alcohol

8.5

8.4

@ 65 :
Liquid
Ethanol

Z2 (cm)
8.8

Z1 (cm)
8.1

Ethyl Acetate
Tert-butyl Alcohol

8.8
8.8

8.6
8.4

@ 80 :
Liquid
Ethanol
Ethyl Acetate
Tert-butyl Alcohol

Z2 (cm)
8.1
8.6
8.4

Z1 (cm)
8.0
8.4
8.2

Liquid

Capillary tube method

4.645 x10-6
9.01 x10-6
2.957 x10-6

Trial 2: 65
Liquid
Ethanol
Ethyl Acetate
Tert-butyl Alcohol

Capillary tube method

1.655 x10-5
5.72 x10-6
2.916 x10-6

Trial 3: 80
Liquid

Capillary tube method

1.058 x10-6
1.297 x10-6
1.34 x10-6

Analysis and Interpretation:

The results from the experiment and computations for the different methods were
compared. It is observed that trial 3 which is at 80C has lower diffusivity than the other two lower
temperatures.
Conclusions and Recommendations:
Temperature can greatly affect the rate of diffusion of the liquids. When the temperature
was set to high values, the concentration gradient was also increased, proving that the rate of
diffusion is directly proportional to the temperature.
It is recommended that the other method was given. Also, using clean apparatus and
uncontaminated chemicals is a must as it can greatly affect the results.
Questions:
1. Define the following:
a. Ficks Law of Diffusion
b. Equimolar Counter Diffusion
c. Unicomponent Diffusion
2. A gas CH4 and He in a tube at 101.325 kPa pressure and 298 K. at one point the partial
pressure of methane is PA1 = 60.79 kPa, and a point 0.02 m distance away, PA2 = 20.26 kPa. If the
total pressure is constant throughout the tube, calculate the flux of methane at steady state for
equimolar counter diffusion.
3. Ammonia gas is diffusing through N2 nondiffusing since it is insoluble in one boundary. The total
pressure of NH3 at one point is 1.333 x 10-5 m2/s, at the other point 20 mm away it is 6.666 x 103
kPa. The DAB for the mixture at 101325 Pa and 298 K is 2.30 x 10-5 m2/s.
a. Calculate the flux of NH3 in kgmols/s-m2.
b. Do the same as (a) but assume N2 also diffuses; this is, both boundaries to both gases
and flux is equimolar counter diffusion, in which case is the flux greater.
4. Mass transfer is occurring from a sphere of naphthalene having a radius of 10 mm. The sphere
is in large volume of air at 52.6 and 1 atm abs pressure. The vapor pressure of naphthalene at
52.6 is 1.0 mmHg. The diffusivity of naphthalene in air at 0 is 5.16 x 10-6 m2/s. Calculate the
rate of evaporation of naphthalene from the surface in kgmol/s- m2.
Answers to Questions:
1. Ficks law of diffusion states that the rate of diffusion of a chemical species at a location in a
gas mixture( or liquid or solid dolution) is proportional to the concentration gradient of that
species at that location.
In equimolar counter-diffusion, the molar fluxes or A and B are equal, but opposite in direction,
and the total pressure is constant throughout.
Unicomponent diffusion is where one component (A) at one boundary (at the end of the
diffusion path) cant pass through the other component B.
(
)
2.
(
)
((

PB1 = P PA1 = 1.013 x 105 1.333 x 105 = 87970

PB2 = P PA2 = 1.013 x 105 6.666 x 105 = 94634
(

(
(

)
)(

(
(
(

)(

)(

)(
)(

)(

)(

)
)
)

3. PA1 = 1.333x10^4
PA2 = 6.666 x10^3
PB1 x10= P-PA1 = 87970 Pa
PB2 = P PA2 = 94634 Pa
PBD = PB2 PB1 / ln(PB2/PB1) = 1.17x10^5 Pa
NA = [(2.30x10^-5)(1.013x110^5)(1.333x10^4)]/[(8314)(298)(.02)(1.17x10^5)]
NA = 5.36x10^-6 Kmol/ m^2(s)
NA = Dab/RTZ (PA1-PA2)
NA= (2.3x10^5/8314x298x0.02) (1.333x10^4 6.666x10^3)
NA= 3.09x10^-6 Kmol/ m^2 s