INTERPHASE MASS TRANSFER

•• If a solution is not of uniform concentration the solution

brought to uniformity by diffusion
• N=flux, moles/time relative to a fixed location in space
• = flux of a constituent relative to the average molar velocity of
all constituent , kgmol/h m2
• Fick’s First Law of diffusion in z direction:

• Where D= volumetric diffusivity, m2/h

• CA = concentration of A , kgmol/m3
• Fick’s Second Law of diffusion for transient/un steadystate
diffusion,[equivalent to unsteady state heat transfer]
• Flux of A relative to a fixed plane when the average
molar velocity of all components is uo

• For equi-molal diffusion uo is 0:

• [For one –component (one way diffusion):]

• Mass transfer coefficient: kc, ky, kx, kg
• and or
• Unit of kc=cm/s, ky same as JA
•
[

• [M= mol weight]

•
•

• M:
• L:
• T:
• In terms of exponents b, d
•
• ; ;
• Turbiulent flow mass transfer to pipe wall

Flow normal to cylinders; Mass transfer to a single

cylinder for Re 10 to 10 4

Flow normal to tube bundle: oxygen removal from

water using radial flow modules with close packed
hollow fibres

Flow past single sphere:

• What is the effective
thickness of the gas film for
the evaporation of water
into air in a 2 in diameter
wetted wall column at
Reynolds number of 10,000
and a temperature of
40oC? At 1 atm. The
diffusivities are 0.288cm2/s
for water in air
• [For air at 40oC viscosity
0.186cP]
Equilibrium Relations between Phases – Gas liquid equilibrium for gas
absorption

SO2-water
System at 20oC

Equilibrium
diagram
 HENRY’S LAW
Often equilibrium relation between partial pressure in the gas phase and mole
•
fraction in the liquid phase is approximated by a straight line Henry’s Law
equation at low concentration:

H is Henry’s Law constant in atm/mol fraction

Or,
H’ is in mole fraction gas/mol fraction liquid
• What will be the concentration of oxygen
dissolved in water at 298K when the solution
is in equilibrium with air at 1 atm total
pressure? Henry’s Law constant is atm/mol
fraction.
• Partial pressure of oxygen is 0.21 atm.

mole fraction of oxygen in water

• Ref: Geankoplis
INDIVIDUAL AND OVERALL MASS TRANSFER COEFFICIENT

• •

• P - bulk concentration
• M – interface concentration
Flux: • Slope of line PM
 RELATION BETWEED k AND K
•

• or

• or