\ t er CHAPTER 9

Absorption
':
fk

\'lj\

The most common use of the massfransfercoeffcientsdevelopedin Chapter8

is the analytical descriptionof large-scaleseparationprocesseslike gas absorptionand
Hill liquid-liquid extraction. These mass transfercoefficientsdescribethe absorptionof a
solutevapor like SOz or NH3 from air into water. They describethe extractionof waxes
from lubricatingoils, the leachingof copperfrom low-gradeores,and the efficiencyof the
distillationof xyleneisomers.
Mass transfercoefficientsare useful becausethey describehow fast theseseparations
occur. They fhusrepresenta stepbeyondthermodynamics,which establishes the maximum
separationsthat arepossible.They are a stepshortof analysesusing diffusion coefficients,
which havea more exactfundamentalbasis.Mass transfercoeffcientsare accurateenough
to conelateexperimentalresultsfrom industrialseparationequipment,and they providethe
basisfor designingnew equipment.
All industrialprocessesareaffectedby masstransfercoefficientsbut to differentdegrees.
Gas absorption,the focus of this chapter,is an example of what is called "differential
contacting"and dependsdirectly on masstransfercoefficients.Distillation,the focusof the
next chapter,is an exampleof what is called"stage-wisecontacting"and is lessinfluenced
by mass transfer. Extraction and adsorption,the subjectsof Chapters 11-12, may be
effectedin either differentialor stagedcontactors.
Understandingabsorptionis the key to all fbur operations.This understandingis usually
cloudedby presentingthe ideascompletelyin algebraicterms. All chemistryand all simple
limits areimplied ratherthanexplained.As a result,novicesoften understandeverystepof
the analysisbut havea poor perspectiveof the overallproblem. To avoidthis dislocation,we
begin,in Section9.1, with a descriptionof the gasesto be absorbedand the liquid solvents
that absorbthem. A few of theseliquids dependonly on the solubility of the gas; many
more liquids reactchemicallywith the componentsof the gas.
Once this chemicalproblemis stated,we turn, in Section9.2, to the physicalequipment
used. This physicalequipmentis simple,but it is constrainedby the fluid mechanicsof the
gas and liquid flowing past eachother. Theseflows are complicated,describedlargely by
empirical correlations.The best strategymay be to follow the turnkey procedureto solve
the fluid mechanics.
In Section9.3 we turn to the simple caseof dilute absorptionand in Section9.4 to the
parallel caseof concentratedabsorption.For the dilute solution case,we assumea linear
isotherm, that is, that a solute's solubility in liquid is directly proportionalto its partial
pressurein gas. This leads to a simple analytical solution. For the concentratedcase,
we do not assumethe isotherm is linear and we recognizethat the liquid and gas flows
changewithin the equipment. Now the solution requiresnumerical integration. These
two sectionsmirror our earlier discussionof diffusion, where the simple case of dilute
diffusion in Chapter2 gaveway to the concentratedand more generalresultsin Chapter3.
Understandingthe dilute caseis the key to the concentratedcase.

245
246 9 / Absorptiott 9l'T:,B.

9.L The Basic Problem

When you drive by a chemicalplant at night, the most impressivepa is the lights'
They outline every piece of equipment. When you look more closely,you can often see Prtrce.:

threetypesof silhouettes.The tallestare the thin distillationcolumns,which are described Ammrrntrn-..

in the next chapter.The next tallestarethe fat gasabsorptioncolumns,which arethe subject C o a lS a .
of this chapter.Ironically, the shortestsilhouettesare the chemicalreactors,chargedwith H r g hB t u ; .
LLr\\ BIu :- j
reagentsto make the desiredproducts.
Ethrlenen-r.:
This relative size has a moral: while the chemical plant would not exist without the
- the F l u es l r d e . , .
chemical reactors,the biggestexpense- the biggest equipment will often be in Hr drtrqenn'..
separationequipment.This separationequipmentcenterson distillation and gasabsorption,
\atural sr. ::
is
the two most importantunit operations.The analysisand the designof theseoperations Orlde:ulu:.
centralto the entirechemicalindustry' R e n n e qd e - ,
S rn g a : t , , r .- -
I havefound that distillation is betterunderstoodthan gasabsorption.I believethat this
is becauseeveryoneknowsthat distillationis how you concentrateethanolfrom water: Dis-
for'
tillation is how you turn wine into brandy. In contrast,few know what gasabsorptionis
gases? What happens 9.1.
What specificgasesare absorbed,anyway?What liquids absorbthe
to the lquids afterwards?I find this ignoranceironic becauseof increasedenvironmental The
yet
concerns. Gas absorptionis the chief method for controlling industrial air pollution, :11\ture ilnd l
many with environmentalinterestsremain ignorantof its nature' - r.-h nprh ,n.
'''--"' t -""'t

In this section,I want to begin to removethis ignorance'I want to list the gasesthat we Lr.rffilCIi\ r- .l
I
most often seekto removeand to give rough limits for the inlet and exit concentrations. - LrflCehIftltl-.

want to explainwherethesegasmixturesoccur. I will do so qualitatively,without equations; l;rI. f\ tf.l I

there are more than enoughequationsin later sections.I do want to make one point now ::l!'ITed trr;.
about cost. ln thesesystems,the cost of absorptionis usually log linear' It coststwice as .: .' nlA\ ba I
tt
much to remove 997oas it doesto 907o,and it coststwice as much to remove 99'97cas ::o,iuce rtrliJ
doesto remove997o. Thts increasingcost shouldbe a key in environmentallegislation' T h e r eS : : .
, : n t r a t e di l : .
-:ihtrilte . l
"i
9.1.1 Which GasesAre Absorbed - , 1 . 1 . 1 1 1 p 1 -1r1

Mostgasabsorptionaimsat separationof acidicimpuritiesfrom mixedgasstreams' -::llinC

Theseacidic impuritiesincludecarbondioxide (COz), hydrogensulfide(H2S),sulfur diox-

ide (SOz),and organicsulfur compounds.The most importantof theseare CO2 and H2S,
in-
which occur at concentrationsof five to fifty percent. The organic sulfur compounds
clude carbonyl sulfide (COS) and merceptans,which are like alcohols with a sulfur atom
in placeof the oxygen. Merceptansstink: For example,butyl merceptanis responsiblefor
the stenchof skunks.
Other impurities vary widely. One common impurity is water,which can be removed
by either absorptionor adsorption. Another is ammonia (NH:), which is basic, rather
(NO*) are of
than acidic. Sulfur trioxide (SOr), prussicacid (HCN), and nitrogen oxides
concem becauseof their high chemicalreactivity. Oxygen must be removed from some
reagentstreams,and nitrogencan be absorbedto upgradenatural gas.
-:'i*L
The occurence of these streamsand the targetsfor their removal are summarizedin !rll_1 .

Table 9. I -l . The ubiquitouspresenceof H2S reflectsthe fact that fossil fuels' especially : \ \ J : . , i -

more
coal and petroleum,containlargeamountsof sulfur. Moreover,as the world becomes
..-..::l\ 3 rl.

gas,which Q ,r; '.-- -

industrialized,the targetswill decrease.This is particularlytrue for SO2in flue
i s t h e s o u r c eo l ' a c i dr a i n . . - ' j \ : \ \ r i j
 rl)Itotl 9.1 / The Basic Problem 141

Table 9. 1- 1. Gas treating in major industrial processes

:-:-lights.
Gasesto be Common targets
:lensee Process removed (7oAcid gas)
-:..ribed
- r' .ubject Ammonia manufacture co2, NH3, H2S <16 ppm CO2
Coal gas
.:_:e,iwith High Btu gas co2,H2s,cos 500 ppm COz; 0.01ppm H2S
Low Btu gas HzS 100ppm H2S
: 1 l r u tt h e Ethylenemanufacture H2S,CO2 <l ppm H2S, I ppm CO2
.: rn the Flue gas desulfurization SO: 90Varemoval
-.,'rption, Hydrogen manufacture Coz <O.lVcCO2
Natural gas upgrading H2S,CO2,N2, RSH < 4 p p m H 2 S ; < l 7 oC O z
: : , r l i o n isS Oil desulfurization HrS 100ppm H2S
Refinery desulfurization co2,H2s,cos l0 ppm H2S
, hitthis Syn gas fbr chemicalsfeedstock co2,H2s <500 ppm CO:;<0.01 ppm H2S
- . : i f :D i s -
. :r is fbr.
':
- ' 'l fn rn' e
""
nq 9.1.2 What Are the Absorbing Liquids?
::ntental
The choice of a liquid absorbentdependson the concentrationsin the feed gas
. . , : t \ r ny. e t
mixture and on the percentremovaldesired.If the impurity concentrationin the feedgasis
I high, perhapsten to fifty percent,we canoften dissolvemostof the impurity in a nonvolatile,
r - ihatwe
nonreactiveliquid. Such a nonreactiveliquid is called a physical solvent. If the impurity
: : . , l t C t n SI .
concentrationis lower, around one to ten percent,we will tend to use a liquid capableof
: .--lJtlOflS,
f'ast,reversiblechemical reactionwith the impurity. Such a reversiblyreactiveliquid is
: lnl now
refened to as a "chemical solvent." If the impurity concentrationin the feed is lower still,
: - : . , rt c e a s
we may be forced to use a liquid that reactsirreversibly,an expensivealternativethat may
'-.tiasit
producesolid waste.
'.rt1tlO.
Thesegeneralizationsmay be clearerif we considerthe caseof H2S. If we havea con-
centratedfeed stream,we can dissolvethe H2S in liquids like ethyleneglycol or propylene
carbonate,which are physical solvents. At lower feed concentrationsof H2S, we would
commonly use aqueoussolutionsof alkylamines. One common exampleis monoethanol
-:. .tfilllS. amine
- . : . r rd i o x -
- . , ; l dH 2 S , H2NCH2CH2OH

: .ndsin- As you can see, this is like ammonia but with one proton replacedwith ethanol. Such
- ::rr atom speciesreact reversiblywith acid gaseslike H2S, so their aqueoussolutionsare chemical
, ' . i b l ef o r solvents.Finally, if the HzS is presentonly in traces,we can removethesetraceswith an
aqueoussolutionof NaOH. This will producea wastestreamof NaHS, which is discarded.
,:' :i lllOVed Gasabsorptionprocesses producea liquid containinghigh concentrations
of theimpurity.
:-:.. rather Ths commonly is removed- stripped- by heatingthe liquid so that the impurity bubbles
, ,,areof out. Often, this removal is acceleratedby pumping an inert gas - a sweep stream -
:: :ll SOme through the hot liquid. Recently,chemical companieshave been borheredby the high
cost of heating the large volumes of absorbingliquids. To avoid thesecosts,they have
- ,:r-1zed in begunusing absorbantswhosechemicalreactivityis pressuresensitive.Becauseswingsin
: . recially pressurecan be lessexpensivethan swings in temperature,I expectthe switch to pressure
'-';':
lTOfe sensitiveabsorbantswill continue.
. - : - .r i h i c h Both temperatureand pressureswingsyield a concentratedimpurity requiringdisposal.
The disposalis againillustratedby the exampleof H2S. The H2S is normally strippedfrom
 9 / Ahsorption
248

Gos in

Liquid oul

of the
Fig. 9.2-I . A packedtowerusedfor gasabsorption.A gasmixtureentersthe bottom
towerandflowsout the top. Partof'thismixtureis by
absorbed liquid flowingcountercurrently,
from toP to bottom.

stream is burned:
amines by heating; the concentrated HzS stream is split into two. The first
a

H2S+ --, Soz* Hzo

io,
This productgas is reactedcatalyticallywith the remainingH2S:

SOz*2H2S+35+2H2O
process"has been
The H2S is convertedinto solid sulfur, which can be sold. This "Claus
the key to sulfur recoveryfor almost a century.
into a liquid'
Thus gas absorptioncenterson removing an impurity from a gas stream
will discussthe analysis and design of equipment for this
ln the reit of this chapter,we
on physical solvents, that is, on nonreactive liquids'
task. our discussionwill be entirely
almost twenty times lesscommon than absorption in
Gas absorptionin physicalsolventsis
liquids. We focus our discussion on physical solvents
chemicaliolvents,that is, in reacting
16.
becausethey are much simpler;we will explorechemicalsolventsin chapter

9.2 AbsorPtionEquiPment
packedtowers
Gasabsorptionat an industrialscaleis most commonly practicedin
seton its end and
like that shownin Fig. 9.2-I . A packedtower is essentiallya pieceof pipe
the tower trickles ft--
filled with inert materialor "tower packing." Liquid pouredinto the top of
countercurrently
down throughthe packing;gaspumpedinto the bottom of the tower flows
DcJ .-r:

contact between gas and liquid achieved in this way effectsthe gas f l f f , . - *

upward. The intimate

;ll
absomton.
The mass h "
Analyzing a packedtower involvesboth masstransferand fluid mechanics.
packedtower' This rE*
transf'er,detailedin the following section,determinesthe height of the
reactionsthat often n{!H :--
masstransfri s describedasmolr flows, partly becauseof the chemical
area lry&6.
occur. The fluid mechanics,describedin this section,determinesthe cross-sectional
a consequence theof pJltr-.-
of the packedtower. The fluid mechanicsis describedas massflows,
 ,trptton 9.2 / AbsorptionEquipment 249

P
L--J
Raschig Ring %@
@@ A
\4
Pall Ring NunsrBing

Fig. 9.2-2.Sx typesof randompacking.Thesepackingsaim to resolvethe conflictnggoalsof

fast flow and largeinterfacialareas.

- .,f the
-::iUrrently, physics that control the process. To describe the physics, we discuss the tower packing, the
flows themselves, and the estimation of the tower's cross section.

:--.:' burned: 9.2.1 Tower Packing

The fluid mechanicsin the packedtower is dominatedby the inert materialin the
packedtower. This material can be small piecesdumped randomly or larger structures
carefully stackedinside the tower. Randompacking is cheaperand more common; struc-
ruredpackingis more expensivebut more efficient. The efficiencyis typically improvedby
aroundthirty percent,a significantgain when producingcommodity chemicalsat very low
margins. Still, becausestructuredpackingsvary widely, we will stressthe more common
' - - h a sb e e n
randompackingshere.
Typical random packings, shown in Fig.9.2-2, replacethe crushedmaterial used in
-:,,uhquid.
early chemical processing. These packings try to permit both high fluid flow and high
- ::it tbr this
interfacialarea betweenthe gas and the liquid. These goals are in conflict: High fluid
-: .: liquids. flow implies a few large channelsthrough the tower, and high interfacial area requires
--.,irption in many small channels.Thus tower packingsare compromises,developedwith eighty years
. - , : r o l v e n t s of empiricism. Sometimes,the Raschigrings and the Berl saddlesare describedas first-
_seneration packings,the Intalox saddlesandPall rings aresecondgeneration.andthe Nutter
rings are third generation.All aim at the samegoal: fast flow with big area.

9.2.2 Tower Flui.d Mechanics

', \3d towers
: t \ e n da n d The liquid and gas flows throughtheserandompackingscannotbe arbitrarily set
.i
: er trickles but mustrestwithin a narrow,empiricallydefinedrange.To seewhy this rangeis important,
.- :: r-currently imagineyou havea tall glassfilled with ice. You blow air into the bottomof theglassthrough
: : , ' J r st h e g a s a straw,and you pour cola into the glassat the sametime. You watch what happens.
If you pour the cola at a very slow rate,it won't flow evenly downwardthroughthe ice
The mass but will run down in only a few places. Such a flow, called "channeling,"occurs when
- ,uer. This the gas or liquid flow is much greaterat some points than at others. Such channelingis
- . thatoften undesirable,for it can substantiallyreduceinterfacialareaand hencemasstransfer. lt is
. : , : r o n aa
l rea usuallyminor in crushedsolid packing and is minimal in commerciallypurchasedrandom
- --::rce of the packing,exceptat very low liquid flows.
 250 9 / Absorption -' 1,

If you now pour the cola faster (rememberto keep blowing), you get a casewhere the
cola flows through all the ice more evenly,with your breathbubbling up through ir. The
c
conditionswheretheserelativelyevenflows begin is calledloadingand is a requirementfor CD
good masstransfer.When loadingbegins,the flows may slightly decrease,but the dramatic
increasein the gas-liquid areameansthat masstransferis fast. Yorr almost alwayswant
to operatea packedtower in this loadedcondition. (\
However,if you now begin blowing much harder,you will push in so much air that the ^
cola can't flow into the column, but splashesbackward,out of the top of the glass. This
conditionis called"flooding." It not only reducesmasstransferbut also decreases u_
the cola or
that is flowing into the glass.
Thesesamethree conditions- sfinnnsling,loading, and flooding - can exist inside
of any packed tower. You will want to use liquid flows that are high enough to avoid
channelingand achieveloading. You will want to use gas flows that are low enough to
avoid flooding. But you will also want flows that are large enoughfor a specifictask, for
example,largeenoughto treat 6000ft3/min of flue gas. You must choosethe packing and
the shapeof the packedtower to allow theseflows without floodine.

9.2,3 Tower Cross-Sectional Area

At this point, we should restateour objective. We aim to analyzeindustrialgas

absorptionin packedtowers. This analysisdependsmost strongly on massbalancesand
rate equationsgiven in subsequentsectionsof this chapter. It also dependson the fluid
mechanicswithin the tower, which is the subjectof this section.
In most cases,the absorptionprocessthat interestsus will have specifiedflows of gases
and liquids. Theseflows must load but not flood the tower. We achievethis by changing
the tower's cross-sectional area.This changesthe gasand liquid fluxes,that is, the amount
of fluid per cross-sectional areaper time. By increasingthe cross-sectional
areaat constant
flows, we decreasethe fluxesandthe velocitiesof the gasandliquid flowing pasteachother.
The empiricalcorrelationsmostoften usedfor estimatingtower crosssectionsareshown
in Fig. 9.2-3. This figure is tricky, a mixture of dimensionlessand dimensionalquantities.
The abscissa,often called the flow parameteris dimensionless:
'/'
L' fO; I t,p, u f
- l -- 1-
^ ' \ l
" '
l l
l
r I (e.2-t)
u '',1Pt Ll?cu'6 1

whereL'(: pluv) andGt(: p6u6) arethe massfluxesof liquid andgas,respectivery; pl

and p6 are the correspondingdensities;and u7-and u6 are the superficialvelocities. Two
points about this abscissamerit mention. First, while L' andG' are massfluxesand hence
dependon the tower's cross-sectional area,their ratio L' f G' doesnot dependon this area.
Second,the flow parameteris a measureof relativekinetic energy: It is the squareroot of
the ratio of the liquid's kinetic energyto that in the gas.
The ordinatein Fig. 9.2-3 is more difficult. First of all, it is dimensional,not dimen-
sionless. In particular,the gas flux G' is given in poundsper squarefoot per second;the
densitiesp6 andpL are given in poundsper cubic foot; the viscocity trris that of the liquid,
expressedin centipoise;ry' is the ratio of the density of water to the density of the liquid;
the gravitationalconstantg,. is 32.2; and the packing factor F is roughly inverselypropor-
tional to the packing'ssize. Valuesfor F are listed for common packingsin Table 9.2-I .
 9.2/ AbsorytictnEquipment 251
rl)tLon

. :'..'rrthe 0.20
: rr. The o 0.10
r : l . n tf b r ct)
0.060
ri:Jt-natic (5 0.040
' ,:i : WA[t
0.020
q
c, 0.010
: rhat the I
+

,,.' This 0.006

(\l'|. 0.004
r - : h ec o l a
0.002
o
, :-: inside 0.001r-
- . , a\,oid 0.01 0.04 0.1 0.4 1.0 4.O
:: .ugh to L/G (po/p.)1/2
- ..1.k.for
Fig 9.2-3.Correlationfor estimatingtowercrossseotionalarea.The conelationimpliesa
. -r l l l ! a n d
mixtureof specificunits,asexplainedin the text.

Table9.2-1.Packing.factorsFandareaspervolume(pert'ot)forrandompackings

-.:nrl gas Nominal packing size (in.)

-:" -c'S Olld

::ta fluid | 1/4 I t/2

RaschigRings 580 380 255 t79 93 65 37
, ' ' gases rCeramic) (ril) (100) (80) (58) (38) (28) (1e)
RaschigRings 300 t70 r55 tl)
- "r "n oI n"O' ' li32 in. Metal) (128) (84) (63)
: r .tlnount RaschigRings 410 300 220 144 83 57 -)L
:i ,,rllSt0lt i/16in. Metal) ( rr 8 ) (72) (s7) (41) (31) (21)
. ,,.h other. Berl Saddles 240 n0 t10 65 45
::.' \hOWn Ceramic) (142) (82) (76) (44) (32)
PallRings 8l 56 40 2'7 l8
-.,,rntities. \ letal) (104) (63) (3e) (31)
Pril Rings 95 55 40 26 17
Pastic) (104) (63) (3e) (3I ) (26)
lntaloxSaddles 200 145 92 52 40 22
e . 21- ) Ceramic) (r90) (102) (78) (60) (36)
H1 Pak Rings 45 29 26 I6
\letal ) (69) (12) (33) (3r)
- : . . 1 ) ,p; I .
' .'.. Two
\irtr'.'Theareaspervolumearegivenin parentheses
(abstracted
fom Strigle,lagT).
.' J hence
- :l\ afea.

:::' fOOt Of
This melangeof mixed metric and English units is a historicalartifact born in the largely
: dimen- \nrerican developmentof the petrochemicalindustry.
. : - , r n dt:h e The physical significanceof the ordinateis also obscure.we recosnizethat it is domi-
'r-'1iquid, :.ited by the ratio
-: iquid;
(G)2 F
: . fropor- )o o 'l (e.2-2)
. , -t 9 . 2 - 1 . Pc QtSc p1.q.(packing
size)
252 9 / Absorpton \lrsorption r

This suggeststhat the ordinatecanbe regardedasthe ratio of the kinetic energyin the gas F : : h el l i n c h R
to the potentialenergyin the liquid. The other factors,like p0 2, arejust later empiricisms.
The history of correlationin Fig. 9.2-3 is curious. The original form, due to Sherwood
(c')(9
Shipley and Nolloway (1938), was limited to the flooding curve. The curvesat constant
pressuredrop were addedby Leva (1954). More recently,many have quarreledover the u
form, correctlyfeeling that somethingwith a better-definedphysicalsignificancewould be
prefrable.While I agree,I recognizethat Fig. 9.2-3 is the startingpoint for most who are
G':0.
w o r k i n go n a b s o r p t i odne s i g n .
To use Fig.9.2-3 to find the tower's cross-sectionalarea,we must first know the gas
Thu: the tower I
and liquid flows and hencethe flow parameteron the figure's ordinate. After we choose
of -5.7 feet. For t
a packing from the myriad available,we want to choosea pressuredrop in the tower. In
Horrever,while t
conventionalpractice,absorbersare designedto operateat pressuredrops of 0.2 to 0.6
is a considerab
inch H2O per foot. The lower pressuredrop will minimize foaming. Alternatively,we can
calculatethe column's performanceat flooding and arbitrarily chooseto operateat a gas
flux equal to half the flooding value. In both this method and the previousone, we must
make sure to design the tower for the point where the maximum flows of gas and liquid
occur. For absorption,this is normally at the tower's bottom; for stripping,it's normally at
9.3 Al
the top. We nor
Using Fig. 9.2-3 for estimatingthe tower'scrosssectionis straightforwardthoughcom- we will wantto t
plicated. Rememberthis figure has two major limitations. First, it implies that at large to use our analr
gas flows, the cross sectionalarea should vary with liquid density and velocity. In fact, case,we will bu
it should be independentof these. Second,this figure is largely basedon iquid and gas allowedestimat
densitydifferenceslike thoseof water and air. Thesetendto give optimistic predictionsfor To simplift c
nonaqueoussystems(i.e., smallerthan optimal tower crosssections).Thus in nonaqueous from a gas into
systems,like those involving ethyeneand propylene,you may need different methods. clearest.Becau
Again, make early estimateswith the methodsin this section,and then discussyour case both constantse
with equipmentsuppliers. key equations:

(1) a solu
(.2) a solu
Example 9.2-1: Estimating a tower cross-section You are planning to reducethe two
percentcarbondioxide in 23 poundsper secondof a naturalgasstreamusing absorptionin (3) a solu
aqueousdiethylamineflowing out at 40 poundsper second.You want to useeither 1j inch
Thesethree ke'
Raschigrings or I j inch Pall rings. In eithercase,you want to designfor a pressuredrop of
equation.respe
0.25inch H2O per foot, so that foaming is minimized.-Underthe operatingconditions,the
W e b e g t nr t :
densitiesof the gasand the liquid are 2.8 and 63 lbs/fti, respectively;the liquid's viscosity
on a smali tou e
is 2 centipoise.
areabe?
What shouldthe tower's cross-sectional >o
Solution This problemillustratesthe routineuseof Fig. 9.2-3. We frst calculate 1
I rr'.
the flow parameter: \

L, P; -
4otbs/sec E.Slbtlftt G {
G'\ p, xtbvr*V 63lbr/f
'.\hL-re and l
From Fig. 9.2-3,the capacityfactor is thus rr the r t-r1un-

( G ' f n Pp o z
: 0.015 t:
Pc PL.8c
 \D\orptrcn 9.3/ Absorptionof a Dilute Vapor 253

: \ i n t h eg a s For the I 2 l n c n Raschigrings, the packingfactor F is given in Table9.2-1 as 93, so

:piricisms.
Sherwood
,rt cOlSt&tlt
( c ' ) ( e( 3Y)\ r "
\ o J , / :0.015
iJ over the 2.8(63)32.2
-: \\ ould be
,rt$ho are
G ' : 0 . 9 0 l b s / f t :s e c

:,,\\ the gas

- '',,. choose Thus the tower has a crosssectionof (2310.90:)26fe. This corresponds to a diameter
of 5.7 feet. For rhe Pall rings, the packingfactor is 40, so the diameteris smaller,4.6 feet.
::.' lowef. In
However.while thereis little differencein the tower diameterfor thesetwo packings,there
: r ) . 1t o 0 . 6
is a considerablechangein the tower height,as shownin the next section.
: , : ' l \ .w e c a n
::,:i3 Ct O $0S
'.:'. \\e [lUSt

,. .:ndliquid
. -rlrnally at 9.3 Absorptionof a Dilute VaPor
We now returnto the analysisof gasabsorptionin a packedtower. In many cases,
::. Jughcom- ri'e will want to usethe analysisto estimatethe tower's height. In othercases,we will want
::.1t at large to use our analysisto organizeexperimentalresultsas masstransfercoefficients.In any
- :t, In fact, case.we will build on the fluid mechanicsdescribedin the earliersection,a descriptionthat
-i..J and gas allowedestimatingthe tower's crosssection.
:: i:ctions for To simplify our analysis,we will begin with the caseof a dilute solutevapor absorbed
- -.,rnqueous
fom a gas into a liquid. This focus on the dilute limit makes the physical significance
:r:ti nethods. clearest.Becausethe vapor is dilute, the molar gas flux G and the molar liquid flux L are
-.. \ our case both constantseverywherewithin the tower. With this simpliflcation,we then needthree
key equations:

( 1) a solutemole balanceon both gas and liquid,

: i - . J e t h et w o (2) a soluteequilibrium betweengas and liquid, and
: .,.'(rrptionin (3) a solutemole balanceon either gasor liquid.
, l
- .:r'f l; llCll
': - - .rrdioPof Thesethree keys are traditionally called an operatingline, an equilibrium line, and a rate
equation,respectively.
. ':irtions,the
We begin with a mole balanceon the solutein both gasand liquid. We makethis balance
-i.\iscosity
on a small tower volume AAz locatedat position z in the tower:

: 'r:.t calculate
7 solute
entering
\ / soluteentering
\
I minus leaving | : ( minus leavingI
\ in gos / \ in liquid /

G A ( - v l . + n-. ) ' 1 . ): L A ( x 1 4 6 , - r l , ) (e.3-

I)

rvhere,v and x are the mole fractionsin the gas and liquid, respectively.When we divide
bv the volume ALz.,we find

dv dx (9.3-2)
G--: L ,
d:. oz
 ) </1
9 / Absorption
9.3/ Absor

Rearanging,
We nog
d x G with the eqL
(e.3-3)
d y L
i =
subjectto (at z : 0),

,y : .r'o ,l : .trO (e.3-1) where/ is rf

wherethe subscript0 indicatesthe streamsat the bottom of the tower. Rememberthat the t -
gasis enteringand the liquid is leavingat this position.Integrating,

G
r:-ro*7(l'-.ro) (e.3-s)
The impona
The first key equation,which is nothing more than a mole balance,is calledthe "operating
line."
t -
The secondkey equationfor analyzingabsorptionis an equilibriumrelationfor the solute
in the gas and in the liquid. Becausethe soluteis dilute, this has the form

\'* : mx (e.3-6)
where m is closely relatedto a Henry's law constant. This relation, briefly discussedin
Section8.5, is a frequentsourceof error becausethe units of the constantare not carefully
considered.Rememberalsothat -'),*doesnot exist at the sametower positionasx. In fact,x
is the actualliquid mole fraction,-y*is the gasmole fractionwhich would be in equilibrium
with that liquid, and ,r,is the actualgas mole fraction. This secondkey equationis called
the "equilibrium line."
The third key relation,the rate equation,is found by anothersolutemole balanceon the
differentialvolume A Au but on the sas onlv:

/ solute \ _ soluteflow \ / solurelosr \

- / (e.3-1)
\ a c c u m u l a r i o/ r \ n m i n u so )
i \ b y a b s o r p t i o/n
In symbolic terms,this can be written as

0: G A ( . y 1 -. . ' ! [ + a : ) - K 6 a ( A L z . ) ( c r- c i ) (e.3-8)
in which d representsthe packing areaper volume and K6; is the overall gas phasemass
transfercoefficient.
Valuesfbra.inft2/ff.aregiveninparenthesesforavarietyofcommon
packingsin Table 9.2-l (in the previoussection). The concentrationc1 is that in the bulk
gas,and the concentrationcf is the value that the gas would have if it were in equilibrium
with the liquid. Again, we divide this equationby the volume AAz and take the limit as
this volume goesto zero; we also recognizethat the tota molar concentrationc of the gas
is constant.Thus c1 equalsc,tr,cf equalsc-.1,*,
and

o : - r # - K 6 a c ( y - , r: ' *-)r # - K , a ( -y. r ' * ) (e.3-e)

This rate equation,a mole balanceon that part of the solutethat is in the vapor,is the third
key in our analysis.
 rl)tton
9.3/ AbsorptionoJ a Dilute Vapor 255

'We
now completeour analysisby integratingEq. 9.3-9. To do so, we first combine it
with the equilibrium line in Eq. 9.3-6 and rearrangethe result:
e 3-3)
r:I,d,:-h1,,',
f*:-h l:,:^ (e.3-
r0)

e.3-4) where / is the tower height. Vy'efurther combinethis with the operatingline, Eq. 9.3-5

i : r h a tt h e ':-*1.," ay

j ' - * l xl } + t ( ,cv - , 1 0l ) l
(e.3-l l )

rl l-5)
The importantresult can be written in a variety of usefulforms:

:aratlng

::!'\0lUte
: s l ( - ' \ ,,"(,;=i]
r,:r,uLt,;T,/ (vo-'\l

e.3-6)

. - . \ \ e d i n
: ,.:rcfully
G
K,,a
,"{+-x)]
t',+l
\ ' - L /
(9.3-12)

I: f act.,r Solving for the height / is as easyas plugging in the numbers.

-...:Lrbrium This result merits reflection. First, although the analysisrepeatedlyexploits the as-
': :. called
sumptionof dilute solution, the extensionto concentratedsolutionsshould be relatively
straightforward.Second,we have implied masstransferof a solutevapor from a gas into
" , : o nt h e
a liquid; such a processis called gas scrubbing. We can repeatthe identical analysisfor
masstransferof a vaporfiom a liquid into a gas;sucha reversedprocessis calledstripping.
Third, we havewritten the proceedingequationsin terms of gas-phasemole fractions;we
e.3_7) could write completelyanalogousequationsfor liquid-phasemole fractions:

I:'.:.t
i9.3-8)

ll1OSS

, trlllllOll
, : * [ (

+)'"e:#)l (e.3-
13)

Note that the overall masstransfercoefficientis different in thesetwo equations.Under-

standingthe difTerencebetweenthe coefficientstakescare.
" :hc bulk
Equations9.3-l2 and9.3-l3 arethebasisof mostmodemanalyses of diluteabsorption.
.--.,.rlbrium They are especiallyappropriatefor chemical solventsbecausereactionsof the absorbing
. - : l i m i ta s solutecan be incorporatedinto the overall masstransfercoetcient. However,especially
i the gas in the older literature,a relationlike Eq. 9.3-12 is sometimesrearrangedas

l : H T U. N T U (e.3-14)
r9.3-9)
whereHTU is a heightof a transferunitdefnedas
- :hethird
G D G
HTU : ( 9 . 3l-5 )
K Kca
"a
256 9 / Absorption

and NT U is a "number of transferunits" given by

[]rt dtt
NTU: I .
-)"
J,, .'l

I -rnxs\
: /lo ( 9 . 31- 6 )
^ln
l _ _
MU \ v,-,,,n )
L

Other definitions of HTU and NTU can be basedon other forms of the overall mass
transfercoefficients.The useof "transferunits" is a rough parallelwith the useof "stages"
in distillation or the term "theoreticalplates" in chromatography. As such, it seemsa
historicalgenuflectionby the more recentabsorptionanalysesin the directionof the older
equilibrium theoriesof distillation.
The use of HTUs and NTUs doeshave a soundphysicalinterpretation.The NTUs are
a measureof the difficulty of the separation,of the distancethe final streamswill be from
ll
equilibrium. If the NTUs are large, the separationis hard. The HTUs, on the other hand,
give an idea of the efficiency of the equipment. A small HTU is a sign of a good tower,
implying, for example,a largesurfaceareaper volume. Moreover,becausethe overallmass
transfercoefficientoften dependson the velocity, the HTU can be largely independentof
flow over the practicalrange: It tendsto be between0.3 meterand 1.0meters.Learn to use
F,q.9.3-12and the idea of an HTU interchangeably.
Fi r

Example 9.3-1: Carbon dioxide absorption A packedtower usesan organicamine to -

F*m-
absorbcarbondioxide. The enteringgas,which contains L26molTo CO2, is to leavewith
only 0.04molToCO2. The amineenterspure,without COz. If the amineleft in equilibrium
with the enteringgas (which it doesn't),it would contain0.80 molToCO2. The gas flow is
2.3 gmol/sec.the liquid flow is 4.8 gmol/sec,the tower'sdiameteris 40 centimeters,andthe
overall masstransfercoefficienttimes the areaper volume K,,a is 5 . 10 5gmol/cmrsec.
How tall shouldthis tower be?
Solution We first make an overall carbon dioxide balanceto find the exitins
R r',-'
liouid concentration:
f t : . r : :- ' " '
GA(Yo-)t): LA(xs*x1)

smol smol bun: n--

2 . 3: . i 0 . 0 t 2 6 _ 0 . 0 0 0 4: )4 . 8 " ( x o_ 0 ) htt*:,'
sec sec

"ro: 0'00585

N e x tw e f i n d t h ee q u i l i b r i u mc o n s t a n t 'nb'fr

lo: mr
0.0216: n(.0080) if !!u -:

m : 1.58
 )rplon q .l / Absorption of a Dilute Vapor
257

\ow we insertthe valuesgiveninto Eq. 9.3-12:

e . 3I-6 )
r7T
2.3gmol/sec
r mol
lL;+ t 4 0 c m lI|2s . l o - t- : -

:32m
CmiSeC
fl=*-)'(
L\'- 4.s /
0.0126- 1 . s 80.005
-
0.0004 t .s8(0) )l
( 85)

fhe simplicityof thiscalculation

is typicalof dilutesolutions.
:':ill mass
: .tages"
: r e e m sa Erample 9.3-2: oxygen stripping you are testinga new packedtower to strip oxygen
: ::l!'Older :rt)m water using excessnitrogen. The oxygen-freewater is to be used in microelectric
:nanufacture.Your tower is small, about 2 metershigh and 0.6 meter in diameter,filled
\TUs are 'i ith I inch Hy-Pakrings. You expectthe valueof lnG for oxygenis large
andthe dominant
be fiom .ransfrcoefficientin the liquid witl be 2.2 .10 3 centimeters
per second.The waterflow
::-.:'rhand, :' to be 300cm3/sec.How much oxygencan we removewith this tower?
J tower, Solution To begin,we recognizethat becausethe nitrogengas flow is in excess,
::.rllmass andy7 arezero,and(L I mG) is much lessthanone. As a result,Eq. 9.3_l3 becomes
::rJent of
::ll tO USO , :- L f , - / * o \ l
K oL ' "\ ; / l
From Thble 8.2-2 andthe fact that masstransferin the liquid is controlline.

Kr:k*:kr'l
- -:llilDe tO
FrornThbfe 9.2-1,a is 60ft27ft3,or 2.26cm2/cm3. Thus
--.:re with
- - : Ii b r i u m
3oot'3..
- - , . t l o wi s
: : . . . r n dt h e
r
200cm: sec
[ (60 cm)22.2.l0-3cm . secc7_L
l* alxt)
. nl sec.
1 : o.ol
-r0
'-. -ritino
'\'e'reremovingover ninety-eightpercentof the oxygen. An interesting
exerciseis to check
rL' nitrogenflows implied by this calculation.

Erample 9.3-3: Alternative forms of absorption equations show that Eq. 9.3-l2
can
-.' rewrittenin the form

:;;f(+"( ,_I G
CI G. l
I H
! LI
H ClL .t )l
frere u6 and u1 are the superficialvelocitiesof gas and liquid, where K5 is defne<i
by
Nr:Kc(ctc-cic)

rJ the Henry's law constantH is given by

ci-.: Hc17
 9 / Absorption 9.1/ Absor:
258

Solution We frst recognize that

G : ccuc
L: CTUL
We then
where c6 and cL are the total molar concentrationsin gasand liquid, respectively'
rewrite Eq. 9.3-6 as
(1., c|L
cG cL

SO
MCC tr,-
H : -----: .-
CL I . -:

ir.-
Finally,from Table8.2-2, i

Ko : K,-lcc
Inserting result'
thevaluesof m, K,.,G, andI intoEq.9.3-12givesthedesired ' tr-

9.4 Absorption of a Concentrated Vapor

concen-
In this section,we want to extendthe precedinganalysisto the caseof a
packedtower. As
tratedvapor. As before, we plan to accomplishthis absorptionusing a
gas fluxesthat
before,we must decideon an appropriatetower packing and on liquid and
though now for
will avoid flooding. As before,we dependon a variety of mole balances'
concentratedsolutions.
our analysisfor
Beforewe developthesenew massbalances,we canbenefitby looking at
key equations'
a dilute vaporin a somewhatdifferentway. This analysisdependedon three
a balance on both liquid and gas (seeEq' 9.3-3):
A first key equationcamefrom
d y : L (9.4-1)
d x G
We integratedthis easilY:
I
(.9.4-2)
t':yo+_(x-xo)
G
key equationis the
This mole balance,shownin Fig. 9.4-1, is the operatingline. A second
equilibrium condition (seeEq. 9.3-6):
(9.4-3)
!*:mx
line. Finally,
This thermodynamicrelation, also shown in Fig' 9'4-1, is the equilibrium
from a massbalanceon the gas alone,we found (seeEq' 9'3-1)
G /')tt dY (9.4-4)
': *.o
J,. ."-r
height i '
we combined Eqs.9.4-Zthrough9.4-4 andintegratedto find the towef's
on the operating
ln contrast,we could havemadeuseof the graphin Fig. 9.4-I . We begin
line at the point
line at the point (x1,r'i) and move vertically until we hit the equilibrium
\.. \orptlon 9.4 / Absorption of a ConcentratedVapor 259

O p e r o t in g
line \

\\'e then

Fig. 9.4- L Designing an absorption tower for a dilute vapor. The height of the tower is closely
related to the area of the trapezoid shown. However, fbr a dilute vapor, this area is easily
calculated analytically using the equations of Section 9.3. The equilibrium line shown here is
based on thermodynamics, and the operating line reflects mole or mass balances.

(.rr,yl ). From thesepoints,we know -

,y1 )1. We repeatthis procedurefor a lot of valuesof
r . We then usetheseresultsto integrateEq. 9.4-4 by either graphicalor numericalmeans.
We thus find the tower height /.
At first glance,this methodof calculationusingoperatingandequilibriumlinesmay seem
archaic,an anachronismfrom the daysof sliderules. Certainly,this methodwas developed
ii Concen-
to circumventthe elaborateintegralsthat areoftenencounteredin the analysisof large-scale
tr)$ er. As
masstransferprocesses.Theseintegralscan now be routinely handledwith computers.
dures that
Still, operatingand equilibrium lines remain a focus of everyone'sthinking. This is
.:h now for
not just the result of mental inertia or academicsloth. Instead,this focus has remained
raluablebecausethe operatingline summarizesa massbalanceand the equilibrium line is
nalysisfor
a statementbasedon the secondlaw of thermodynamics.Such a split can make thinking
r'QUatlOlS.
rbout separationprocesseseasierand more rational.
We want to extendthis analysisto absorptionin concentratedsolutions.We begin with
(9.4-1) a mole balanceon both gas and liquid. The result is a parallelto Eq. 9.3-2:

) )
s:-itGyt+?rtxl (e.4-s)
az clz.
(9.4-2)
Before,the flux of gas G and that of liquid L were nearly constantbecausethe absorbing
rtronis the \pecieswas alwaysdilute. Now, however,we expectthat

(9.4-3) G : G" \nl lr-lr ' l (e.4-6)

:. Finally,
ri hereG6 is the flux of the nonabsorbinggas. For example,if we are using water to absorb
SO3out of air, Gs is the flux of air. Similarlv.
(9.4-4)
L:Ln
" \fl f- l* / (e.4-7)
r operating
,t thepoint 'r here Ls is the flux of the nonvolatileliquid. When we combine these equationsand
260 9 / Absorption 9.4/ Absorptior

The towerhei
tiom Fig. 9..1-l
madeduring the
review. First. *
nonvolatileliqur.
i i q u i d :t h el i q u r d
gas.Theseapprt
il-.r') 2inthe
Jiflerentsetoi rr
E q u i l i b r i u ml i n e
: t a l . .1 9 7 5\:l c C
:,ictorsand aren,
X The secondk,
r q u a t e l ye x p r L -
Fig.9.4-2.Designinganabsorptiontowerforaconcentratedvapor. Theheightofthetoweris
.:r.rtmasstransi
againrelatedto the areaof the figureshown.This heightis ofien moreeasilyfoundgraphically
oi numericallythananalytically.The curvaturesof the equlibriumandoperatinglinesreflect ,3rtalnli do dc'p
solutions.
- I rrnl\ a ftrstap
the fact thatboth gasandliquid areconcentrated

integrate, we find
yo \
|I ____:___ Lol .r .ro \

;m.*(*-*)
\l-',,) Gr\l-* l-ru)/

This mole balanceis the operatingline for a concentratedvapor,the analogof Eq. 9'3-5
(9.4-8)

or 9.4-2. It reducesto theseequationsas the concentrationsbecomesmall. However,in

general,its shapeis more like that inFig.9'4-2.
The next step is the specificationof a new equilibnum relation analogousto Eq. 9.3-6
or 9.4-3:

-y*: .)*(:r) e'4-9)

r:ntple 9.{-1:
This relation is often not written in an analyticalform, but simply presentedas a table or
graph of experimentalresults. The importantpoint is that .y* and f are no longer directly
proportional,relatedby a single, constantcoefficient. Instead,they vary nonlinearly,as
exemplifiedby the equilibrium line in Fig. 9.4-2.
The final stepis a mole balanceon the gasin a differentialtower volume:
d -K"a(y-.r.) (9.4-10)
O:-*(Gt)

We combinethis result with Eq. 9.4-6 to find

Gn,'f -r,uty-1.'l ( 9 . 4 -rl)
o:-
( l - ) ' ) ' 11:

where K., is the overall coefficientbasedon a mole fraction driving force. Rearranging,

':lu'o':*l:' dv-
: HTU.NTU (9.4-t2)

This resultfbr concentrated solutionsreducesto Eq. 9.3-11or 9.4-4 for dilute solutions,
w h e r et I - r ' ) i s a b o u tu n i t Y .
 rt) tloll 9.4/ Absorptionof a ConcentratedVttpor 261

The tower height/ can be found by integratingF,q.9.4-12,using valuesof ,r'and .r'*read

fom Fig. 9.4-2. The integrationis straightforwardbut is limited by two key assumptions
made during the analysis. These assumptionscan have subtle implications and so merit
review. First, we are assumingabsorptionof a single vapor from an inert gas into a
nonvolatileliquid. The gasis inertin the sensethatonly negligibleamountsdissolvein the
liquid;the liquid is nonvolatilein the sensethatonly negligibleamountsevaporate into the
cas.Theseapproximations underlieEq.9.4-6andleadto thefactorsinvolving( t - r')-l and
( I - t)-2 in the analysis.In passing,we shouldmentionthatsometextbooksusea slightly
differentsetof assumptionsand so useslightly differentequations(King, I 97 I ; Sherwood
et al., 1975;McCabeand Smith, 1975;Treybal,1980). The diff'erencesarecausedby these
luctorsand are not often important.
The secondkey assumptionin this analysisis that a mass transfercoefficientcan ad-
r'quatelyexpressthe masstransferin a concentratedsolution. In other words, it implies
J\\ CT IS

:.,'rhically
that mass transfercoefficientsare independentof concentrationdifferences,though they
. rcflect certainlydo dependon variableslike the Reynoldsand Schmidtnumbers.This turnsout to
he only a first approximation.In general,

N r : K , A - )+ K ( A ) ) 2+ . . . (e.4-
l3)
,rhere K{. is a new correctionfactor fbr concentratedsolutions.
(9.4-8) The reasonwhy masstransfercoefficientsmay not be accuratein concentratedsolution
. becausemasstransferitself createsconvection. Such convectionis like that causedby
j i t f s i o n , a s e x p l a i n e d i n d e t a i l i n S e c t i o n 3 .El .x t e n s i o n s om
f asstransfercoefficientsto
' l - r U < - \ llore concentratedsolutionsor, more strictly,to situationsof fast masstransf'erareoutlined
LY|. '.-' J

',\eVer,in :t Section13.5. Howevel theseextensionsare not often usedin practice,evenwhen they

-re known in principle. Instead,practicingengineerstend to use empirical correlationsof
:,tual experimental data.Theseareusuallyreliable.
Fq. 9.3-6

t9.4-9)
F-rample9.4-1: Ammonia scrubbing A gasmixture at 0"C and I atmosphereflowing at
. ., tableor l0 m3/sec,and containingthirty-sevenpercentNH3, sixteenpercentN2, and forty-seven
-:r directly . rrtent H2 is to be scrubbedwith watercontaininga little sulfuricacidat 0'C. The exit gas
':t.arly,as .:\)uld conta'none percentNHr and the exit liquid 23 mol% NH3.
Designa packedtower to caffy out this task. The tower shoulduse2-inch Berl saddles,
' r r e hh a v ea s u r f a c ea r e ap e r v o l u m e 1 0 5 m 2 / m 3( c f . T a b l e9 . 2 - l l . I t s h o u l do p e r a t ea t
- lr percentof flooding.
Pilofplant data suggestthat the overall gas-sidemass transfer
i q . 4 -1 0 ) - :licient in this tower will be 0.032metersper second;this valueis largerthan normal
- r-rLlseof the chemicalreactionof ammoniawith water.
In this design,answerthe following specificquestions:(a) What is the flow of purewater
-: , thetop of the tower?(b) What towerdiametershouldbe
used?(c) How tall shouldthe
( 9 . 4 I- I )
.,.r'r be?
Solution (a) We first fnd the total flow AGs of the nonabsorbedgases(i.e., of
r.rnglng, " . . r n dH 2 ) :

t9.4-12) 1 . 2 0m 3 / s e c
A G s , : g ""
\ zz.+m3/kgmot
: .rrlutions,
: 0.0338kgmol/sec
 9 / Absorption 9.4/ Absorptiort,

We then find the ammoniatransferred:

/ N H . \ / l I. _2n 0 m r / s e c \ / 0 ' 0 1| -( 0| ' 0 3 3 8 k g m o l / s e | c t \
-
"'' ' \zz.l+mrTkgmol/ \
2 - 7I

\ absorberd
) 0.99 /
: 0.0195kgmo/sec

Fromthis.we findthedesiredwaterflow ALs:

/ 0.11\
ALo- t - ) (o'0195
kgmol/sec)
\v.tJ /

: 0.0652kgmol/sec

(b) The risk of flooding is greatestat the bottom of the tower where the flows are
on mass
greatest.Moreover,becauseflooding is determinedby fluid mechanics,it depends
To make this conversion, we first find that the averagemolecular
flows, not molar flows.
weight of the gasis 11.7. Then we seethat
Fig. 9.'1--r
/ total flow \ I - I I .7 kg / 0.0338kgmol/sec\
f l - |

\ of gas / kgmol \ 0.63 /

: 0.628kg/sec fr
- d - : -

is 17'8,so 4 1
The averagemolecularweight of the liquid stream(neglectingany HzSO+)
d : 0
/ toralflow \ 17.8kg ( 0.0652kgmol/sec\
0.77 . re tower's diame
\ of liquid / kgmol \ /
(c) Th,
: 1.51
kg/sec
HTU :
Thus
/liquid flow \ r'- I .51kg/sec
l- ^ l t t P c / P t : 0.628kg/sec Jffi :
\ gasnow /
: 0.055 :
we find that -
Rememberingthat the valuesfound in Fig. 9.2-3 are not dimensionless, :rndthenumbe
- .\n astheopera
/ g a sf l u x \ ' o ' 1 7P aP t g '
: rnthefigure.\'
\ainoooing): a- :r lt - 0.37to
NTU :
on ( oz.+\to.o32ot
t,t
I t3z.2r
fir
)
/ ' . :r Eq.9.3-14
:@ t"-

t:(HTt
or
: (0.4
/ gasflux \
( : z'zokglm2sec - - emsof stripp
"ttililt )
shouldbe half this value' or . :briumline.
Becausewe want to operateat ffty percentflooding, our flux
about 1.15kg/m2-sec.We now can find the tower's diameter:
 t' )[ IO11 9.4 / Absorption of a ConcentratedVapor 263

-.!\\'s arg
:
''. .rtl lnass
".'iecular
o.1 0.3
,
Fig.9.4-3.Absorption
of concentrated
ammonlaThe values shown are for Examole 9.4.1.

s 2 _ 0 . 6 2 8k g l s e c
4 1 . 1 -k5g / m 2 s e c

d:0.84m
The tower's diameteris about 2.7 feet.
(c) The calculationof the tower'sheightcan beginwith 8q.9.4-12. From this,
G,,
HTU - ,---
K6;ac

kgmol/secl/
t0.0338 [ (ttI 41Q.84m)21
(0.032m/sec)( I 05 m2/m3) (l kgmolI 22.4m3)
: 0.41m
l:nal Tofindthenumberof transferunitsNTU, we firstplotvaluesof ) versusx usingEq.9.4-8,
.hownastheoperating linein Fig.9.4-3.V/ealsoploty* versus.r,shownastheequilibrium
rnein thefigure.Wethenreadoff valuesof .t,*versus.y
at fixedx,andintegrate
Eq. 9.4-12
:rom-)0: 0.37to yr - 0.01.Theresultis
NTU : 13
:romEq.9.3-14
I : (HTU)(NTU)
: (0.41m)(13):5.3m
?roblems of strippinggasesarevery similarexceptthattheoperatingline fallsbelowthe
r aue,or :;uilibriumline.
264 9 / Absorption

9.5 Conclusions D
This chapteranalyzesgasabsorption,an importantseparationprocessin chemica
manufactureand pollution control. Gas absorptioncommonly is effectedin packedtowers
llled with inert packing that gives a larger interfacialarea betweengas and liquid. The
gas rises through the tower; the liquid trickles countercurrentlydownward. The liquid is
often chemicallyreactive,binding the solutesbeing absorbed.For example,acid gaseslike
H2S are absorbedinto aqueoussolutionsof amines. However,the analysisin this chapter
implies nonreactiveliquids; reactiveliquids are discussedin Chapter 16. l[m :.
The analysisof gas absorptiondependson fluid mechanicsand on masstransfer. The l|fini!!:' ]
fluid mechanicsdeterminesthe acceptablerangeof gasandliquid fluxes,which areadjusted tlhru;
by changingthe cross-sectional areaof the tower. The masstransfercoefcientsdetermine r .
the rateof absorptionandhencetheheightof the packedtower. This heightcanbe estimated - . "
by either algebraicor geometricmethods.The algebraicformulationis simplefor the case n{Um _' :
of a dilute solute,a casedetailedin Section9.3. This casedependson threekey relations: rc:"....1
an overall mole balance,a thermodynamicequilibrium, and a rate equation. This dilute r5l!::
caseis the easiestway to leam about absorption. hu
The geometricanalysisof absorptionis suitablefor eitherdilute or concentratedsystems. lu*r'-'
It alsodependson the samethreekey relations.Almost perversely,the overallmole balance mu -:
is now calledthe operatingline andthe thermodynamicequilibriumis calledthe equilibrium 'l:ror .r- --
line. The rateequationsometimeshasthemasstransfercoefficientsrewrittenin termsof neu u , . -
quantitiescalledHTUs, heightof transferunits,which are measuresof the efficiencyof the ilm0.:-* ""
packedtower. Thesenew terms provide occasionalphysicalinsight; simultaneously,thel hl ,tr- "
are effectiveat discouragingthe inexperiencedfrom trying to learn about gas absorption. : "
nmrb-
If you are inexperienced,don't give up. Work hard on the dilute limit; be encouragedbr ulrfi'r;' :
the fact that the concentratedlimit and the geometricanalysisare more complicated,but . .:
:::
involve no new ideas. lJ l :*:-
llaf ,:-
,di E,"l
Further Reading
mfll "": -
Kaiser,V. (1994).Chemicul Engineering 90 (6) 55.
Prcgress ,ill li ".,
King,C. J. (1971).Separation NewYork: McGraw-Hill.
Prot:esses,
F'ttg: -:'- ---
Kister,H. 2., Larson,K. F.,andYanagi,T. ( 1994).Chemical Engineering 90 (2) 23.
Progress ro:d-
Kister,H. 2., andGill, D. R. ( 1991).ChemicalEngineeringProgress87 (2) 32. flilu:-r ;'--
Leva,M. (1954).Chemical Engineering Progress
Symposium Serle.s,50,51. Ii:*

McCabe,W.,andSmith,J. C. (1975).Unit Operutions oJ'Chemical ed.,New

Engineering,3rd "llluouri -.
York:McGraw-Hill. ,u:u:"'.-
Perry,R. H., andChilton,C. H. (1973).Chemical Handbook'5thed.,NewYork:
Engineers '!|f,ij[-: -
McGraw-Hill. llirirl,r ,--'
Robbins,L. A. (1991).ChemicalEngineering 87 (5) 87.
Progress rfu/ult - -.
Sherwood, NewYork:McGraw-Hill
T. K., Pigtord,R. L., andwilke, c. R. (1975).MassTransJr.
Sherwoorl,T. K., Shipley,G. H., andHolloway,F.A. L. (1938).IndustrialandEngineering
Chemistn30,765.
R. F.(1987).Random
Strigle. Packings andPackedTow'ers, Houston:GulfPublishing.
Trevbal.R. E. (1980).MassTransferOperatktns,3rd ed.NewYork:McGraw-Hill'
E r'---
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