CHEMICAL ENGINEERING SERIES: DIFFUSION

SOLVED PROBLEMS

Pure nitrogen is passed over the opening of a long narrow test tube which contains liquid
cyclohexane filled to 11 cm below the top. The temperature is 17 C and the pressure is 1 atm.
After 20.2 hrs the liquid level drops 0.22 cm. Using this data, determine the diffusivity of the
binary gas system.

SOLUTION:

This is the case of steady-state diffusion of cyclohexane through a nondiffusing nitrogen.

N A D AB P 1 dp A
A
=
RT (
Pp A dZ )
N A D AB P P p A 2
A
=
RT Z
ln (
P p A 1 )
dZ
A
NA dt dZ
= =
A AM Mdt

dZ D AB P P p A 2
dt
=
RTZ
ln
P p A 1 ( )
Z2 t
D AB P M P p A 2
ZdZ= RT
Z 1

ln
P p A 1 ( )
0
dt

D AB P M P p A 2
1 2
2
( 2
Z2 Z 1 )=
RT
ln
P p A 1
t ( )
RT ( Z 22Z12 )
D AB=
P p A 2
2 PMt ln
( P p A 1 )
At 17 C, for cyclohexane (initial condition)

kg o
=778.4991 3
; p =0.082 atm
m

ENGR. RONNIE V. FLORES Page 1

CHEMICAL ENGINEERING SERIES: DIFFUSION
SOLVED PROBLEMS

atm m3

D AB =
( 0.082057
kmol K ) ( kg
m )
( 290.15 K ) 778.4991 3 [ ( 0.11 m ) ( 0.1078 m ) ]
2 2

kg 3600 s 10
(
2 ( 1 atm ) 84 )(
kmol
20.2h x
h ) (
ln
10.082 )
m2
D AB=8.4968 x 106
s

ENGR. RONNIE V. FLORES Page 2