• Gas absorption is a mass transfer operation in which a gas mixture is contacted with a liquid with

the objective of preferentially dissolving one or more component(s) of the gas in the liquid and
producing a solution of the dissolved gas(es) in the liquid.
• Thus, acetone may be recovered from an air-acetone mixture by bringing the gas into intimate
contact with water in which acetone gets dissolved but air does not.
• Similarly, ammonia may be recovered from an air-ammonia stream by washing the mixture with
water, benzene and toluene vapour are removed from coke oven gas by washing the gas with oil. In
the examples given above, transfer is from gas phase to liquid phase.
• If the transfer is in the opposite direction, that is from liquid to gas, the operation is called
desorption or stripping.
• Thus, when the benzene and toluene, as mentioned above, are removed from the absorption oil by
passing steam through the solution, both benzene and toluene vapours pass on to the gas phase and
are removed while the oil is reused. The basic principles of absorption and desorption or stripping
are the same, the only difference being in the direction of mass transfer.
• All the three examples of absorption of acetone, ammonia and
benzene-toluene are physical processes since no chemical interaction
is involved.
• However, during absorption of oxides of nitrogen in water to produce
nitric acid or during absorption of carbon dioxide in a solution of
sodium hydroxide, chemical reactions occur, the nature of which
influences the process of absorption.
• Thus, absorption may be of two broad types: pure physical absorption
and absorption accompanied by chemical reaction.
• Our discussions will mostly be limited to the physical absorption.
• It may not be out of the way to sort out some major differences
between absorption and distillation.
• These major differences are that in case of distillation vapour is
produced in each stage by partial vaporisation of the liquid while in
absorption the feed is a mixture of gases.
• In general, the ratio of liquid to gas flow rates is much higher in
absorption than in distillation.
• In absorption diffusion is unidirectional while in distillation diffusion
is both from liquid to gas and from gas to liquid.
 Equilibrium Relations
• Equilibrium relationship plays an important role in gas absorption as in
other mass transfer operations.
• Equilibrium relations decide whether mass transfer will at all take place
and if so, in which direction.
• During gas absorption for instance, gas molecules will diffuse into the liquid
as long as the concentration of the gas in the liquid is less than the
equilibrium value. If, on the other hand, the concentration of the gas in the
liquid is higher than the equilibrium value, the gas will diffuse out of the
liquid into the gas phase as in case of desorption.
• At any given temperature and concentration, each dissolved gas exerts a
definite partial pressure. The degree, to which each gas is absorbed from a
mixture of gases, depends upon the partial pressure of the concerned gas.
• When certain amount of a gas and a relatively non-volatile liquid are
allowed to remain in mutual contact for a sufficiently long time so
that no more net transfer of a component A occurs between them,
the system is said to be in equilibrium in respect of A and the
resulting concentration of the dissolved gas A in the liquid is known as
gas solubility at the prevailing temperature and pressure.
• The solubility of a gas is not substantially affected by the total
pressure of the system up to a total pressure of about 500 kN/m2.
Solubility of gas, however, decreases with increase in temperature.
• The solubility of a gas is generally affected by temperature according
to Vant Hoff’s law of mobile equilibrium
• The “principle of mobile equilibrium” was partially stated by van 't
Hoff in 1884, and later formulated more definitely by Le Chatelier and
Braun. It indicates qualitatively, in what direction a “physical” or
“chemical” equilibrium is “displaced” if one of the parameters, which
determine this equilibrium is altered.
• If a mixture of gases is brought into contact with a liquid, the
equilibrium solubility of each gas will not be affected by that of others
provided the equilibrium is described in terms of the partial pressures
of constituent gases.
• If all but one of the components of the gas mixture is substantially
insoluble, its concentrations in the liquid will be so small that it will
not be able to influence the solubility of the soluble components.
• For example, Curve I and II in Figure 7.1 describe the solubility of
ammonia in water when the ammonia is diluted with air since air is
almost insoluble in water, provided that the ordinate of the plot
represents the partial pressure of ammonia in the mixture.
• The above generalization is true in the case of several components
being soluble only if the solute gase are indifferent to the nature of the
liquid, which is possible only if the solution is ideal.
A solution is considered ideal when
(i) the average intermolecular forces of attraction and repulsion do not change on
mixing the
constituents,
(ii) the volume of the solution varies linearly with compositions,
(iii) no heat is evolved or absorbed during mixing of the constituents, this criterion
however does not include heat of condensation of the gas to the liquid state, and
(iv) total vapour pressure of the solution varies linearly with composition expressed
in mole fraction.
• The molecules of the constituents of an ideal solution should be similar in
size, structure and chemical nature.
• In reality, no solution is ideal, actual mixtures only approach ideality as a limit.
• In practice, however, many solutions are so nearly ideal that they may be
considered ideal for engineering purposes.
• Thus, solutions of benzene and toluene, ethyl- and propyl alcohol or of paraffin
hydrocarbon gases in paraffin oils may be considered as ideal
Nomenclature and Material Balance
• Let us consider counter-current flow of a gas and a liquid through an
absorption column as shown in Figure 7.2.
The Minimum and Design Liquid-
Gas Ratio
 At the bottom and top of the absorber,
parameters Gm,1, Gc, y1, Gm2, y2, and x2 are known.
 We need to determine Ls, and x1
 So we have one equation with 2 unknowns...
 However selection of one of these values,
obviously fixes the other.
 How to select a value?
The Minimum and Design Liquid-
Gas Ratio The minimum
rate is highly
undesirable. At
this point driving
force is almost 0.
Hence it would
take an infinetely
tall absorber to
accomplish the
desired
separation
As a general
operating
principle an
absorber is
typically
designed to
operate at liquid
rates which are
30 to 70 %
greater than
minimum rate.
 Tower Diameter and Pressure Drop
per Unit Tower Height
 For a given packing and liquid flow rate in an absorption tower
variation in the gas velocity has a significant effect on the pressure
drop
 As the gas velocity is increased, the liquid tends to be retarded in its
downward flow, giving rise to term liquid holdup (LH)
 A LH increases, the free cross-sectional area for gas flow decreases
and pressure drop per unit height increases.
Problems with High Gas Velocity
 Channeling: the gas or liquid flow is much greater at
some points than at others
 Loading: the liquid flow is reduced due to the
increased gas flow; liquid is held in the void space
between packing
 Flooding: the liquid stops flowing altogether and
collects in the top of the column due to very high gas
flow
 TO AVOID this condition experience dictates
operating at gas velocities which are 40 to 70 % of
those which causing flooding
 Flood Point
 The relationship between DP/Z and other
important tower variables-liquid and gas rates,
liquid and gas stream densities and viscosities,
and type of packing has been extensively studied
on an experimental basis.
 A widely accepted correlation among these
parameters can be seen in below figure
 Where G' and L': superficial gas and liquid mass
flow rate defined as actual flow rates divided by
the empty cross-sectional area of the tower.
 (G ' ) 2 Fm L0.1
g c ( r L  rG ) rG

G’:gas mass flux (lb/s-ft2)

F:packing factor (ft2/ft3)
mL:liquid viscosity, cp
gc: proportıonality
constant, 32.17 ft-lb/s2-
lbf
rL:liquid density, lb/ft3
rG:gas density, lb/ft3
L’/G’√(rG/rL-rG)
L’: liquid mass flux (lb/s-ft2)
In Cooper and Alley’s book, Figure 13.6 can be used. Note that in Figure 13.6 Gx and Gy are liquid and
gas flux (lg/s-ft2), respectively. In our notation G’ and L’ correspond to Gx and Gy
 Packing Factor F
 The top line in the figure represents the general flooding
condition for many packings. The flooding condition
however has been found to vary as a function of the packing
factor F (dimensionless packing factor tabulated below)
 Recent studies showed that when F is in the range of 10 to
60, the pressure drop can be expressed by:
DPflood = 0.115F0.7
Packing Data
 Determining Tower Diameter

 First abscissa value is calculated

(L'/G')(pG/(pL-pG))0.5

 Where this value intercepts the flooding line on Figure

A, move horizontally to the left and read the value of
the ordinate:
(G')2F(mL)0.1/gc(pL-pG)pG

 Calculate the G’ and take 30 to 70% of it to prevent

flooding

 Tower crossectional area: A = G/G‘

 Evaluate the tower diameter

Determining Expected Pressure Drop per Unit Height
of Tower
 First calculate actual G’ and L’ and then calculate the
abscissa and the ordinate for use in Figure 13.6
 From those values the intersection on the figure
defines the pressure drop per foot of packed height

Another emprical correlation found in the litrature for the

DP in packing when operating below the load point is
DP/Z = 10-8m[10nL’/rL](G’2/rG) m and n are packing constants
see Table 6.2
Determining Tower Diameter and Expected Pressure
Drop per Unit Height of Tower
Scrubber Types

Packed Tower

Spray tower
The boundary-layer thickness grows and the rate of mass
transfer
Kremser Equation,
Packing Height : The Method of Transfer Units
• A newer concept in the analysis of packed column centred on the method of
transfer units.
• This method is more appropriate because the changes in compositions of the
liquid and vapour phases occur differentially in a packed column rather than
in stepwise fashion as in trayed column.
• In this method, height of packings required can be evaluated either based on
the gas-phase or the liquid-phase. The packed height (z) is calculated using
the following formula:

• z=NxH
where

• N = number of transfer units (NTU) - dimensionless

• H = height of transfer units (HTU) - dimension of length
• The number of transfer units (NTU) required is a measure of the difficulty of the
separation.
• A single transfer unit gives the change of composition of one of the phases equal
to the average driving force producing the change.
• The NTU is similar to the number of theoretical trays required for trayed column.
• Hence, a larger number of transfer units will be required for a very high purity
product.

• The height of a transfer unit (HTU) is a measure of the separation effectiveness of

the particular packings for a particular separation process.
• As such, it incorporates the mass transfer coefficient that we have seen earlier. The
more efficient the mass transfer (i.e. larger mass transfer coefficient), the smaller
the value of HTU.
• The values of HTU can be estimated from empirical correlations or pilot plant
tests, but the applications are rather restricted.
Height Equivalent to a Theoretical Plate (HETP)
• This is an old method for estimation of tower height.
• But it ignores the difference between stage-wise and continuous contact.
• In this method, the number of theoretical plates or trays required for a
given change in concentration is first determined by using the method of
computation for stage-wise contact.
• This number is then multiplied by a quantity known as the HETP to get the
required height of packing to achieve the same change in concentration
• Z = (HETP) x N
where Z and N represent the total height of packing and number of
theoretical or equilibrium stages respectively.
Many designers prefer to use the HETP approach because it provides a
comparison with the number of theoretical stages determined with tray
column
• This method has also two fundamental drawbacks. Firstly, it ignores
the basic difference between stage-wise and continuous contact.
• Secondly, the HETP must be an experimentally determined quantity
which strongly depends on several factors like the system and the
concentration changes involved, the flow rates of the fluids and the
type and size of packing.
• Enormous quantity of data must be accumulated to make use of this
method. HETP values for a wide range of packing used in industrial
separations