CHEG324: Mass Transfer

Lecture 1- Introduction
DR. MARYAM KHALEEL
CHEG324-Course Description
• You will learn:
• The principles of diffusion and mass transfer
• The fundamentals of separation processes of interest to the chemical industry
• Application of mass balances to continuous-contact processes (gas-liquid absorption
and stripping)
• Combined mass transfer and reactions
Course Syllabus
Uploaded on Blackboard
What do I expect from you?
- Arrive on time for class
- Pay attention in class (do not use phones during the lectures)
- Interact during discussion and ask questions whenever something is not clear
to you
- Stick to the deadlines in your syllabus. The syllabus is our contract
- Help each other understand the course material
- Be polite to each other and to me
- Provide me with feedback/suggestions on the course
What do you expect from me?
- Provide competent teaching
- Be committed to help you understand the course material
- Be available for out of class assistance
- Treat each question or concern seriously and answer these to the best of my
ability
- Treat each of you with respect
What is Mass Transfer?
Mass transfer is the net movement of
mass from one location to another.

Mass transfer due to

concentration Mass transfer of volatiles Mass transfer of dye in
differences from coffee to nostrils water
 Applications in Industry
Components of a mixture are separated by transfer from one phase to another

[Link]
adsorption/

Absorption process: soluble vapor in a

Removal of H2S from natural gas mixture of inert gases is absorbed in a
using absorption process liquid
Applications in Industry
Desorption (stripping) process: solute is
transferred from the liquid phase to the gas
phase or from solid surface to the gas/liquid
phase

[Link]
Applications in Industry

Distillation process: separates a

liquid mixture of miscible and
volatile substances by partial
vaporization

Crude oil fractionation using

distillation process
Applications in Industry

Isolation of antibiotics using liquid Liquid extraction process: separation of constituents of a liquid
extraction process solution by contact with another insoluble liquid
Other Important Industrial Processes
• Humidification: transfer of component from a pure liquid phase to a mixture of gases (insoluble
in the liquid) e.g. water vaporization into air
• Dehumidification: condensation of a component from a mixture of gases e.g. water
condensation from air
• Adsorption: transfer of component from solution (gas or liquid) to solid surface e.g. removal of
impurities from industrial gases
•Membrane separation: separation of components of solution by selective diffusion through a
membrane e.g. dialysis

[Link]
purification-dialysis/
Review
• Average molecular weight
𝑀𝑖 molecular weight of species i
𝑀𝑎𝑣 = σ𝑛𝑖=1 𝑦𝑖 𝑀𝑖 𝑦𝑖 mole fraction of species i
• Mass concentration of species i (𝜌𝑖 ): mass of i per unit volume of the mixture
• Total mass concentration (or density): total mass of the mixture in a unit volume
𝑛

𝜌 = ෍ 𝜌𝑖
𝑖=1
• Mass fraction of i
𝜌𝑖
𝜔𝑖 =
𝜌
 Review
•Molar concentration of i (𝐶𝑖 ): moles of i per unit volume of the mixture
𝜌
𝐶𝑖 = 𝑀𝑖
𝑖

𝑀𝑖 is the molecular weight of species i

•Total molar concentration: total moles of the mixture in a unit volume
𝑛

𝐶 = ෍ 𝐶𝑖
𝑖=1
𝑃 𝑃
•For ideal gases 𝐶𝑖 = 𝑅𝑇𝑖 𝐶= 𝑅𝑇
𝑃𝑖 is the partial pressure of species i in the mixture and P is the total pressure
𝐶𝑖
• Mole fraction of species i (liquid or solid mixture, 𝑥𝑖 , gaseous mixture, 𝑦𝑖 )= 𝐶
𝑃𝑖
For ideal gases 𝑦𝑖 = 𝑃
Mass Transfer Driving Force
• Mass transfer:
• Driving force: species concentration gradient (dC/dx)
Component is transferred from a region of high concentration to that of a lower
concentration
• It minimizes concentration gradients of species and attains equilibrium
• It can occur between two different phases

Solute transfer is from left to right Equilibrium is reached

Mass Transfer Mechanisms
The mechanism of mass transfer depends on the dynamics of the system
•Molecular mass transfer: random molecular motion in stationary fluids.
•Kinetic molecular theory: molecules are in continuous random motion above absolute zero
temperature
•With the existence of a concentration gradient, there is an overall net transfer of solute from the
region of high concentration to the region of low concentration
Mass Transfer Mechanisms
•Convective mass transfer: mass transfer into moving fluids.
The two mechanisms often act simultaneously
• Example: dissolving sugar in tea Molecular
Molecular +
convective
mass transfer
mass transfer

slow fast
Flux
•Flux is the amount of species that passes per unit time through a unit area normal to the flow
direction (vector)

Amount of species/(area x time)

•Each component in a system can move with a different velocity

•Flux can be described in terms of velocity
Mass Flux
•Mass flux of species i relative to fixed coordinates
𝑛𝑖 = 𝜌𝑖 𝑣𝑖
𝑣𝑖 is the velocity of species i relative to stationary coordinate axis
•Total mass flux
n = σ𝑛𝑖=1 𝑛𝑖 = 𝜌𝑣
•𝑣 is the mass-average velocity
𝑛
σ𝑛𝑖=1 𝜌𝑖 𝑣𝑖
𝑣= = ෍ 𝜔𝑖 𝑣𝑖
σ𝑛𝑖=1 𝜌𝑖
𝑖=1
Mass Flux
•Mass flux of species i can also be written as 𝑗𝑖 concentration
𝑛𝑖 = 𝜌𝑖 𝒗𝒊 − 𝒗 + 𝜌𝑖 𝑣 = 𝑗𝑖 + 𝜌𝑖 𝑣 = 𝑗𝑖 + 𝜔𝑖 𝑛 gradient contribution
𝑗𝑖 = 𝜌𝑖 𝑣𝑖 − 𝑣 𝜔𝑖 𝑛 bulk motion
contribution
𝒋𝒊 is the mass diffusion flux of species i relative to the mass-average velocity
•Relative velocity

• σ𝑛𝑖=1 𝑗𝑖 = 0
Molar Flux
•Molar flux of species i relative to fixed coordinates
𝑁𝑖 = 𝐶𝑖 𝑣𝑖
𝑣𝑖 is the velocity of species i relative to stationary coordinate axis
•Total molar flux
N = σ𝑛𝑖=1 𝑁𝑖 = 𝐶𝑉
•𝑉 is the molar-average velocity
𝑛
σ𝑛𝑖=1 𝐶𝑖 𝑣𝑖
𝑉= = ෍ 𝑥𝑖 𝑣𝑖
σ𝑛𝑖=1 𝐶𝑖
𝑖=1
Molar Flux
•Molar flux of species i
𝐽𝑖 concentration gradient
𝑁𝑖 = 𝐶𝑖 𝑣𝑖 − 𝑉 + 𝐶𝑖 𝑉 = 𝐽𝑖 + 𝐶𝑖 𝑉 = 𝐽𝑖 + 𝑦𝑖 𝑁 contribution
𝐽𝑖 = 𝐶𝑖 𝑣𝑖 − 𝑉 𝑦𝑖 𝑁 bulk motion contribution

𝑱𝒊 is the molar diffusion flux of species i relative to the

molar-average velocity

෍ 𝐽𝑖 = 0
𝑖=1
Molecular Diffusion Flux Relationships
•Relate the flux of diffusing species to the concentration gradient
• Fick’s first law
• Maxwell- Stefan relations
•Fick’s First Law
• For binary mixtures at constant temperature and pressure
J1 = −𝐶D12 𝛻𝑥1
D12 is Fick diffusion coefficient or diffusivity of molecule “1” in “2”
• Binary mixture D12 = D21
• For one dimensional diffusion
𝑑𝑥1 𝑑𝐶1
J1 = −𝐶D12 = −D12
𝑑𝑧 𝑑𝑧
• For ideal gas mixture, c = 𝑃Τ𝑅𝑇 and p1 = y1 P
𝑃 𝑑𝑦1 1 𝑑𝑝1
J1 = − D12 =− D12
𝑅𝑇 𝑑𝑧 𝑅𝑇 𝑑𝑧
Maxwell-Stefan Relations
•For multicomponent mixtures of ideal gases
𝑛 𝑛 𝑛
𝛻𝑝𝑖 𝑦𝑖 𝑦𝑗 𝑣𝑖 − 𝑣𝑗 𝑦𝑗 𝑁𝑖 − 𝑦𝑖 𝑁𝑗 𝑦𝑗 𝐽𝑖 − 𝑦𝑖 𝐽𝑗 𝑗=1 to n-1
= −෍ = −෍ = −෍
𝑃 𝐷𝑖𝑗 𝐶𝐷𝑖𝑗 𝐶𝐷𝑖𝑗
𝑗=1 𝑗=1 𝑗=1

𝐷𝑖𝑗 is the MS diffusivity

𝐷𝑖𝑗 = 𝐷𝑗𝑖
•For a binary mixture of ideal gases
𝐽1 = −𝐶𝐷12 𝛻𝑦1 = −𝐶D12 𝛻𝑦1
𝐷12 = 𝐷21
•Comparing Fick’s and MS equations
D12 =𝐷12
Fick’s diffusivity = MS diffusivity
Maxwell-Stefan Relations
•For a binary mixture of non-ideal fluids
𝐽1 = −𝐶𝐷12 Γ𝛻𝑥1
𝜕𝑙𝑛𝛾1
Γ is the thermodynamic factor given by Γ = 1 + 𝑥1 and 𝛾 is the activity coefficient
𝜕𝑥1

•Comparing Fick’s and MS equations

D12 =𝐷12 Γ