An exhaust stream from a semiconductor fabrication unit contains 3 mol% acetone and

97 mol% air. In order to eliminate any possible environmental pollution, this acetone-air stream is to
be fed to a mass-transfer column in which the acetone will be stripped by a countercurrent, falling
293 K water stream. The tower is to be operated at a total pressure of 1.013 x 10 5 Pa. If the
combined Raoult-Dalton equilibrium relation may be used to determine the distribution of acetone
between the air and the aqueous phases, determine
(a) the mole fraction of acetone within the aqueous phase, which would be in equilibrium
with the 3 mol % acetone in gas mixture.
(b) the mole fraction of acetone in the gas phase, which would be in equilibrium with 20
ppm acetone in the aqueous phase.
At 293 K, the vapor pressure of acetone is 5.64 x104 Pa

Solution:
Daltons law gives the partial pressure of a component A in the gas-phase as follows:

pA

gas phase

yAP

where yA is the mole fraction of A in the gas-phase and P is the total pressure in the gas-phase.

Raoults law gives the partial pressure of component A in the liquid-phase as follows:

p A liquid phase x A PA

where xA is the mole fraction of A in the solution and PA is the vapor pressure of pure A.
In a perfectly ideal system, where ideal liquid and ideal vapor are assumed, Raoult's law is
combined with Daltons law to give the following relationship:

y A P x A PA

(a) the mole fraction of acetone within the aqueous phase, which would be in equilibrium
with the 3 mol % acetone in gas mixture.
By RaoultDalton law when yA = 0.03
Total pressure = 1.013 x 105 Pa.
The vapor pressure of acetone = 5.64 x104 Pa.

2306611 TRANSPORT PHENOMENA

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yAP = xAPA
(0.03)(1.013 x105 Pa) = xA(5.64 x104 Pa)
xA = 0.0539 mole fraction acetone

Ans

(b) the mole fraction of acetone in the gas phase, which would be in equilibrium with 20
ppm acetone in the aqueous phase.
xA = 20 ppm acetone in aqueous phase
=
=
= 6.207x10-6
By Raoult-Dalton law
yAP = xAPA
yA(1.013x105 Pa) = (6.207x10-6)(5.64x104 Pa)
yA = 3.45x10-6 mole fraction acetone

Ans

2306611 TRANSPORT PHENOMENA