Assignment 1

1. An ethanol water solution in the form of a stagnant film 2 mm thick at

293 K is in contact at one surface with an organic solvent in which ethanol
is soluble and water is insoluble. At point 1, the concentration of ethanol is
16.6 wt% and the solution density is 972.8 Kg/m 3.At point 2, the density is
988.1 kg/m3. The diffusivity of ethanol is 0.740x10-9 kg/m3. The diffusivity
of ethanol is 0.740x10-9m2/s.Calculate the steady state flux NA.
2. A sphere of Naphthalene having a radius of 2 mm is suspended in a large
volume of still air at 313 K and 101.32 KPa. The surface temperature of
naphthalene can be assumed to be ate 313 K and its vapour pressure at
313 K is 74.65 Pa. The diffusivity of naphthalene in air at 313 K is 6.92x10 -6
m2/s. Calculate the time required for complete evaporation of naphthalene
. Density of naphthalene =1145 kg/m3.

3. An accidental opening of a valve led to spillage of water on the floor of an industrial

unit. The water layer is 3mm thick and at a constant temperature of 30 O C .The
ambient air is at 101.32 KPa and 30 O C having a RH of 75%.Considering that the
water evaporates through an air film of thickness 0.50mm, estimate the time required
for its evaporation. State your assumptions
4. Ammonia is cracked on a solid catalyst according to the reaction 2NH 3 = N2 +
3H2 . At one location in the reactor where the pressure is 101.32 KPa and the
temperatures is 473 K, the analysis of bulk gas shows 33.33% NH3, 16.67% N2
and 50% H2 volume. The conditions are such that ammonia diffuses from gas
bulk catalyst surface, and the reaction products diffuse back; this process as if by
molecular diffusion through a gas film of 1mm thickness under laminar flow
conditions. Estimate the local rate of cracking in Kg. NH 3 per sec. per m 2 of
catalyst surface, which might be considered to occur if the reaction is diffusioncontrolled (chemical reaction rate is very rapid), with concentration of ammonia
at catalyst surface equals to zero.
5. A sphere (diameter =5 mm) is made of copper sulfate (CuSO 4 .5H 2O ) it falls
through a large tank of pure water at 25 oC. Consider that a water film having a
uniform thickness of 0.03 mm is present all around the sphere, and copper
sulfate diffuses into bulk water through this film by molecular diffusion.
Estimate the rate at which copper sulfate dissolves in water.
6. A clay plate having the dimensions of 1.6 mm x 45.7 mm x 27.4 mm is
impregnated with soyabean oil. It is in a flowing stream of pure carbon
tetrachloride (solvent);the mass transfer of oil into solvent may be
considered to occur by internal diffusion of oil through the porous solid.
In a typical run, it has been observed that it takes one hour for the oil
content of the plate to change from an initial uniform value of 0.23 Kg. oil
per kg dry clay to a final value of 0.05 kg oil per kg clay. The resistance to
diffusion may be taken as residing wholly within the plate, and the final oil

content of clay may be taken as zero when contacted with pure solvent for an
infinite time
a) Estimate the effective diffusivity
b) A cylinder of the same clay 12.7 mm diameter and 25.4 mm long, contains an initial
uniform concentration of 14.53 wt.% oil. When immersed in a flowing stream of the
solvent, maintaining the same conditions as for the plate, find the oil content of
cylinder after 10 hours. Consider that diffusion occurs through all surfaces.
c) A sphere made of the same clay has an initial uniform oil content of 18.6 wt.%, and
75% of the
oil is to be removed by the solvent in 110 hours. Find the diameter of
sphere.The conditions are maintained similar to those for the plate.
7. An unglazed porcelain plate 5 mm thick has an average pore diameter of 0.20 m.
Pure oxygen gas at an absolute pressure of 20 mm Hg, 100 oC, on one side of the plate
passes through at a rate of 0.093 ml (at 20 mm Hg, 100C) per cm 2 per sec; the
pressure on the down-stream side is so low that it may be neglected. Estimate the rate
of hydrogen at 25oC and a pressure of 10 mm Hg abs., with negligible downstream
pressure.
8. A mixture of O2 (A) and N2 (B) diffuses through the pores of a 2-mm-thick piece of
unglazed porcelain at a total pressure of 0.1 atm and a temperature of 293 K. The
average pore diameter is 0.1m, the porosity is 30.5%, and the tortuosity is 4.39.
Estimate the diffusion fluxes of both components when the mole fractions of O2 are
80% and 20% on either side of the porcelain. The collision diameters for oxygen and

nitrogen are 3.467 and 3.798 A respectively.

9. The solubility of a specific molecule in a polymeric membrane has been measured.
The experimental data were obtained by taking a piece of film 1.0 cm 5.0 cm of
thickness 0.0127 cm and exposing it at 30C to the pure vapour of this solute. The
weight gain, measured in equilibrium, was 4.7 103 g.The solute has a molecular
weight of 70.0 g/mol. At 30C, the vapour pressure of the solute is 76.0 mm Hg. The
film weight, free of solute, is 0.0575g.
The film density, free of solute, is 0.9 g/cm3
a) Find the solubility coefficient of the solute in the film.
b) The permeability of this polymeric film to the solute is PM = 7.6 105
cm3 STP/ (cm2.s.atm/cm) at 30C. Calculate DAB at 30C.
c) The solute sits at the bottom of a glass tube at 30C. To retard evaporation,
a polymeric membrane is placed on top of the tube. If the thickness of the polymer membrane
is 0.0254 cm and the cross-sectional area is 0.2 cm 2, what is the time required for 10 mg of
the solute to pass through the barrier?