Interphase Mass

Transfer
Interphase Mass Transfer
the transfer of solute A from one fluid
phase by convection and then through a
second fluid phase by convection
 the two phases are in direct contact with each
other
 the interfacial area is not well defined
 mass transfer is caused by a concentration
gradient in each phase
 equilibrium exist at the interface
Equilibrium Relations
Gas-liquid equilibrium data (A.3-19-25)
Henry’s law

p A  Hx A y A  H xA '

where
H = Henry’s law constant (atm/mole frac)
H’ = Henry’s law constant (mole frac gas/mole frac
liquid)
= H/P
Concentration Profile
Liquids-phase Gas-phase mixture
solution of A in of A in gas G
liquid L
yAG
yAi

xAi NA

xAL

Distance from the interface

Concentration Profile
At the interface:
• No resistance to mass transfer is present
• yAi is at equilibrium with xAi

y Ai  f ( x Ai )
Film Mass-Transfer Coefficients
and Interface Concentrations
Equimolar counterdiffusion

For A diffusingfrom gas to liquid and B from liquid to gas:

N A  k ( y AG  y Ai )  k ( x Ai  x AL )
'
y
'
x

Rearranging:

k ( y AG  y Ai )
'
Driving forces
  x

k ( x AL  x Ai )
'
y
Film Mass-Transfer Coefficients
and Interface Concentrations

yAG Slope = -kx’/ky’

Equilibrium
line
yAi

xAL xAi
 Film Mass-Transfer Coefficients and
Interface Concentrations
Diffusion of A through stagnant or non-diffusing B
For A diffusing through a stagnant gas phase then through a
stagnant liquid phase:

N A  k y ( y AG  y Ai )  k x ( x Ai  x AL )

k '
k '
ky  y
kx  x

(1  y A ) iM (1  x A ) iM
Film Mass-Transfer Coefficients and
Interface Concentrations
k /(1  x A ) iM
'

Slope = 
x

k /(1  y A ) iM
'
y
yAG

Equilibrium
yAi line

xAL xAi
 Overall Mass-Transfer Coefficients

N A  K ( y AG  y )  K ( x  x AL )
'
y
*
A
'
x
*
A

where
Ky’ = mass transfer coefficient based on the overall gas-phase
driving force
Kx’ = mass transfer coefficient based on the overall liquid-phase
driving force
y*A = mole fraction of a in equilibrium with xAL
x*A = mole fraction of a in equilibrium with yAG
Overall Mass-Transfer Coefficients
Equimolar counterdiffusion and/or
diffusion in dilute solutions

N A  k ( y AG  y Ai )  k ( x Ai  x AL )
'
y
'
x

'
1 1 m where

'
 '  ' m 
' ( y Ai  y )*
A
K y k y kx ( x Ai  x AL )
Overall Mass-Transfer Coefficients
Slope = -kx’/ky’

yAG Equilibrium
line
Slope=m’’

yAi
Slope=m’

y *A

xAL xAi x *A
Overall Mass-Transfer Coefficients
Also:

1 1 1
'
 '' '  '
K x m kx kx

where

( y Ai  y Ai )
m  *
''

( x A  x Ai )
Overall Mass-Transfer Coefficients
Special cases:

Gas-phase controlling Liquid -phase controlling

m’ is very small m’’ is very large

1 1 1 1
 '
 '
'
K y ky '
K x kx
y AG  y  y AG  y Ai
*
A x Ai  x *
A
 Overall Mass-Transfer Coefficients
Unimolar diffusion
k y' k '

NA  ( y AG  y Ai )  x
( x Ai  x AL )
(1  y A ) iM (1  x A ) iM

'
K K '

NA  y
( y AG  y A ) 
* x
( x A  x AL )
*

(1  y A )*M (1  x A )*M
Overall Mass-Transfer Coefficients
Unimolar diffusion

'
1 1 m
 
K y k y kx
'
1 1 m
 
K y /(1  y A )*M k y /(1  y A )iM k x /(1  x A )iM
' ' '

Ky
 Overall Mass-Transfer Coefficients
Unimolar diffusion

1 1 1
 
K x mk y k x

1 1 1
 '' '  '
K x /(1  x A )*M m k y /(1  y A ) iM k x /(1  x A )iM
'

Kx
Overall Mass-Transfer Coefficients
where

(1  y )  (1  y AG )
*

(1  y A )*M  A

(1  y A )
*

ln
(1  y AG )

(1  x AL )  (1  x )
*

(1  x A )*M  A

(1  x AL )
ln
(1  x A )
*
Overall Mass-Transfer Coefficients
k /(1  x A ) iM
'

Slope = 
x

k /(1  y A ) iM
'
y
yAG Equilibrium
line
Slope=m’’

yAi
Slope=m’

y *A

xAL xAi x *A
Sample Problem
The solute A is being absorbed from a gas mixture of A and B in a wetted-wall
tower with the liquid flowing as a film downward along the wall. At a certain
point in the tower the bulk gas concentration yAG = 0.380 mol fraction and the
bulk liquid concentration is xAL=0.100. The tower is operating at 298K and
1.1013 x 105Pa and the equilibrium data are as follows:
xA yA xA yA
0 0 0.20 0.131
0.05 0.022 0.25 0.187
0.10 0.052 0.30 0.265
0.15 0.087 0.35 0.385
The solute A diffuses through stagnant B in the gas phase and then through a
nondiffusing liquid.
Using correlations for the dilute solutions in wetted-wall towers, the film mass-
transfer coefficient for A in the gas phase is predicted as ky=1.465 x 10-3 kgmol
A/s m2mol frac and for the liquid phase as kx=1.967 x 10-3kg mol A/s m2 mol
frac. Calculate the interface concentrations yAi and xAi and flux NA. Calculate
the overall mass transfer coefficient K’y, the flux, and the percent resistance in
the gas and liquid films. Do this for the case of A diffusing through stagnant
B.