1

Module 2 :

Diffusive heat and mass transfer

Lecture 17:

Gas Absorption with Chemical

Reaction

NPTEL,IITKharagpur,Prof.SaikatChakraborty,DepartmentofChemicalEngineering

1. Gas Absorption with Rapid Chemical Reaction (Moving Boundary

Problem)

Consider the case of a Gas A in contact with a liquid in a

container. The liquid contains solute B dissolved in solvent

S. The system is illustrated in Fig. 17.1 and the coordinate

system z has its origin at the gas-liquid interface. We make

the following assumptions for this system:

Fig.17.1. Gas absorption in solvent B
1. Quiescent liquid (no convective currents)

2. Instantaneous reaction A + B AB

3. Dilute solution

Find concentration profiles of A and B in liquid

Beacuase reaction is instantaneous, concentration of and A and B is zero at the reaction plane. A

and B cannot coexist. The applicable equation is

ci
+ (U ci ) = D 2 ci + Ri (17.1)
t

Here U = 0 and R A =0

Therefore

NPTEL,IITKharagpur,Prof.SaikatChakraborty,DepartmentofChemicalEngineering

cA 2c
= DAs 2A 0<z z' ( t )
t z
(17.2)
cB 2 cB
= DBs 2 z' ( t ) z <
t z

For eqn. (17.2), no source term in mass balance has been considered and the reaction takes place

only at z=z (t).

Fig.17.5. Concept of moving reaction plane with time

The initial and boundary conditions are as follows:

NPTEL,IITKharagpur,Prof.SaikatChakraborty,DepartmentofChemicalEngineering

I.C.: At t = 0 C B =C B0
B.C.: At z=0 C A =C A0 ( saturation concentration )
z=z' ( t ) CA =0
z=z' ( t ) CB =0
C A CB
z=z' ( t ) DAs = DBs
t t

The last B.C. is the result of the 1:1 stoichiometry of the reaction. Applying the same method as

described in semi-infinite slab and defining the dimensionless parameters as

z
= ; CA =1 ( ) and CB =2 ( )
4 DAs t

So after transforming, we get

C A 1
= 1 ' and
t 2t
2C A 1
= 1 ''
z 2
4 DAs t

After substituting and rearranging, we get

1 ''+ 21 ' = 0 (17.3)

Substituting for ' equation (17.12.) becomes

d
+ 2 = 0 (17.4)
d

Integrating and back substituting for we get

NPTEL,IITKharagpur,Prof.SaikatChakraborty,DepartmentofChemicalEngineering

CA
= a1 + a2 e d
2

C A0 0

= a1 + a2 erf ( ) (17.5)
z
= a1 + a2 erf
4D t
As

Similarly for component B

CB
= b1 + b2 e d
2

CB 0 0
(17.6)
z
=b1 + b2erf
4D t
Bs

The location of the reaction plane is found by setting CA (or CB) =0

Equation (17.5) yields z ' = 4 DAs t where is a constant.

There are five constants to be determined: a1, b1, a2, b2, and . Use the five initial and boundary
conditions given at the top to get

a C DBs a a a
1 erf = B0 erf exp
DBs C A0 DAs DAs DAs DBs

Thus, we get

a = 2 DAs
a1 = 1
1
a
a2 = erf (17.7)
DAs

1
a
b1 = 1 1 erf
DBs

1
a
b2 = 1 erf
DBs

NPTEL,IITKharagpur,Prof.SaikatChakraborty,DepartmentofChemicalEngineering

The net rate of mass transfer at the interface is

C A
NA = DAs (17.8)
z =0
z z =0

Substituting a1 and a2 in eqn. (17.5) and evaluating for CA and integrating, we get

C A0 DAs
NA = (17.9)
z =0
erf a DAs t

NA z =0
~ t 1 2

The average rate up to time t is

t
1
t 0
N A,avg = N A dt

C A0 DAs
=2
erf a t
DAs
=2 N A z =0

Fig.17.6. Gas absorption with rapid chemical reaction. Concentration profiles according to eqns.
(17.5) and (17.6).
NPTEL,IITKharagpur,Prof.SaikatChakraborty,DepartmentofChemicalEngineering

2. Absorption with Chemical Reactions in a Semi-Infinite Medium:

Reaction of finite speed

Here same situation is assumed as considered in the case of gas absorption with rapid chemical

reaction with moving boundary. Here we are assuming that the reaction is not instantaneous and

reaction happens throughout the domain of interest.

So the governing equation is

C A 2C A
= DAs k1 ''' C A (17.10)
t x 2

Eqn. (17.10) containing rate of reaction assumes excess quantity of B or that solvent is B.

The initial and boundary conditions are

I.C. t =0 CA =0
B.Cs. x=0 CA =CA0 ( at saturation )
x CA =0

Equation (17.10) can be solved using Laplace Transform and the solution is given as

CA 1 k ''' x
= exp x 1 erfc k1 ''' t
C A0 2
DAs 4 DAs t
(17.11)
1 k ''' x
+ exp x 1 erfc + k1 ''' t
2 4D t
DAs As

NPTEL,IITKharagpur,Prof.SaikatChakraborty,DepartmentofChemicalEngineering

The molar flux of A at x=0 is

exp ( k1 ''' t )
NA x =0 = C A0 DAs k1 ''' erf k1 ''' t + (17.12)
k ''' t
1

The total moles of A absorbed from time t=0 to t=t0 is given by

1 1
A = C A0 DAs t0 k1 ''' t0 + erf k1 ''' t0 + exp ( k1 ''' t0 ) (17.13)
2 k1 ''' t

For large values of k1 ''' to (>5), A becomes

1
A = C A0 DAs k1 ''' t0 + (17.14)
2k1 '''

Considering the more general situation, let us take the example of following non-instantaneous

reaction

A + zB
k2
yP

NPTEL,IITKharagpur,Prof.SaikatChakraborty,DepartmentofChemicalEngineering

C A 2C A
= DAs k 2 C AC B
t x 2

with following I.C and B.Cs

t = 0 CA =0 x>0

x = 0 CA =CA0 t
x C =C x>0
B B0

CB 2CB
= DBs zk2C ACB
t x 2

with following I.C and B.Cs

t = 0 CB =CB0 x>0
CB

x = 0 = 0 t>0
x
x CB = CB 0 t>0

The equations can be solved by procedure described above.

NPTEL,IITKharagpur,Prof.SaikatChakraborty,DepartmentofChemicalEngineering