FINAL EXAMINATION

COURSE : MASS TRANSFER

COURSE CODE : BKF2432

COURSE COORDINATOR : NORIDA BINTI RIDZUAN

DATE : 7 OCTOBER 2020

DURATION : 2 HOURS 30 MINUTES

SESSION/SEMESTER : SESSION 2019/2020 SEMESTER II

INSTRUCTIONS TO CANDIDATES:
1. This examination paper consists of THREE (3) questions. Answer ALL questions.
2. All answers to a new question should starts on a new page.
3. All the calculations and assumptions must be clearly stated.
4. Candidates are not allowed to bring any materials other than those allowed by the
invigilator into the examination room.
EXAMINATION REQUIREMENTS:
1. Periodic Table

APPENDIX:
1. Appendices: Appendix 1-4

DO NOT TURN THIS PAGE UNTIL YOU ARE TOLD TO DO SO

This examination paper consists of SIXTEN (16) printed pages including front page.
CONFIDENTIAL 1920II/BKF2432

QUESTION 1 [30 MARKS]

Gum Arabic and gelatine are typically used as a thickener in food product processing. Gum
Arabic can be processed in a variety of ways in various applications, such as food or
biomedical applications. Molecular weight of Gum Arabic and gelatin are 1 × 106 kg/kg
mol and 5.1 × 107 kg/kg mol, respectively. Consider that 25 wt % of gel concentration is a
dilute solution.
(a) Estimate the diffusivity coefficient, DAB of 25% of Gum Arabic in aqueous solution
at 25oC.
[12 Marks]
[CO1, PO1, CL4]

(b) Compare the diffusivity, DAB of 25% of gelatine in aqueous solution at 25oC to the
Gum Arabic in (a).
[10 Marks]
[CO1, PO1, CL4]

(c) State TWO (2) factors that affect the mass transfer flux of a solute in the above
thickener materials aqueous solution. Justify your reasons.
[8 Marks]
[CO1, PO1, CL2]

QUESTION 2 [30 MARKS]

Figure 1 shows the diffusion experimental system of sucrose in agar-gel which containing
of two parts of cylindrical shape with a diameter of 20 mm. The first part consists of 20 mm
long of agar-gel containing a high concentration of sample sucrose molecules (a sample-
rich gel) and the second part consists of 120 mm long of agar-gel alone that acts as a
diffusion layer. To study the diffusion of sucrose in agar-gel, the system is left and rest for
several time at 30 oC. Then, the sample was immersed in a fixed volume of turbulent pure
water. The diffusion agar-gel layer containing an original uniform concentration of sucrose
of 0.2 kgmol/m3. Assume that convective coefficient, 𝑘! = ∞ and the equilibrium

2
CONFIDENTIAL 1920II/BKF2432

distribution coefficient, 𝐾 = 1. The diffusivity coefficient, DAB of sucrose in agar-gel is

4.17×10-5 cm2/s.

Figure 1

(a) If 20 mm long of diffusion layer section was cut and taken out, calculate the
concentration of the sucrose at the center of the agar-gel cylinder after 200 minute
if the diffusion occur at
i) radial.
[12 Marks]
[CO2, PO2, CL5]

ii) radial and axially.

[5 Marks]
[CO2, PO2, CL5]

(b) Calculate the concentration of the sucrose agar-gel cylinder at the position of 4
mm from the center in the direction of radial of the agar-gel after 5 hours.
[6 Marks]
[CO2, PO2, CL5]

(c) Estimate the time (in hour) needed to achieve 0.05 kgmol/m3 of concentration of
sucrose at the center if the diffusion occurs in radial direction only.
[7 Marks]

[CO2, PO2, CL5]

3
CONFIDENTIAL 1920II/BKF2432

QUESTION 3 [40 MARKS]

A 20 cm flat solid surface covered with volatile solid spheres is exposed to a draft of air.
The initial diameter of the solid spheres is 22 mm. After exposure, the rate of mass transfer
from the solid particles increased and their size was reduced by time. The air velocity was
6.0 × 103 m/hr at 2.1 atm and the diffusivity of the volatile solid particles was 6.0 × 10-6
m2/s. Knowing that the operation temperature and pressure are 53 oC and 1 atm,
respectively.

(a) Calculate the mass transfer coefficient, k’G when the air flows parallel to the whole
flat surface length.
[10 Marks]
[CO2, PO2, CL5]

(b) Calculate the mass transfer coefficient, kG if the air is flowing by a single sphere.
[15 Marks]
[CO2, PO2, CL5]

(c) Consider the case where the solid spheres are packed in a bed with pure water is
allowed to pass through it. The solid spheres solubility in water is 0.29 kg mol/m3
and the outlet water concentration was 0.2 kg mol/m3, calculate the mass transfer
coefficient, Kc (in m/hr) knowing that the water flow rate was 0.002 m3/hr and the
surface area of the bed is 0.012 m2.
[15 Marks]

[CO2, PO2, CL5]

END OF QUESTION PAPER

4
CONFIDENTIAL 1920II/BKF2432

APPENDICES
APPENDIX 1 - FORMULA

Gas diffusion

D AB ( PA1 - PA2 )
NA =
RT (Z 2 - Z1 )

D AB P P - PA2
NA = ln
RT (Z 2 - Z1 ) P - PA1

D AB P
NA = ( PA1 - PA2 )
RT (Z 2 - Z1 )PBM

p B 2 - p B1
PBM =
ln( p B 2 / p B1 )

2D AB
NA = (C A1 - C A2 )
D1

dx A C A
N A = -cD AB + (N A + N B )
dZ c

Liquid diffusion

D AB (C A1 - C A2 )
NA =
(Z 2 - Z1 )

D AB cav
NA = (x - x )
(z 2 - z1 )xBM A1 A2
D AP (c A1 - c A2 )
NA =
z 2 - z1
r ær r ö
C AV = ( ) AV = çç 1 + 2 ÷÷ 2
M è M1 M 2 ø
x B 2 - x B1
x BM =
ln( x B 2 / x B1 )

5
CONFIDENTIAL 1920II/BKF2432

Solid diffusion

𝐷"# 𝑆(𝑃"$ − 𝑃"% )

𝑁" =
22.414𝑧% − 𝑧$

𝑃& = 𝐷"# 𝑆

PM ( PA1 - PA2 )
NA =
22.414(Z 2 - Z1 )

Gas diffusivity

1/ 2
1.8583 ´ 10 -7 T 3 / 2 æ 1 1 ö
D AB = çç + ÷÷
Ps 2 AB W D, AB è MA MB ø

1.00 ´ 10 -7 T 1.75 (1 / M A + 1 / M B )
1/ 2

D AB =
[
P (Su A )
1/ 3
+ (Su B )
1/ 3 2
]
Liquid diffusivity

9.96 ´ 10 -16 T
D AB =
µ V A1 / 3
T
D AB = 1.173 ´ 10 -16 (fM B )1 / 2
µ BV A 0.6

Biological diffusivity

DAP = DAB (1 - 1.81 ´10 -3 c p ) , cp in kg P/m3

é æ % free A ö æ % bound A öù
D AP = ê D AB (1 - 1.81 ´ 10 -3 c p ç ÷ + Dp ç ÷ú
ë è 100 ø è 100 øû

Unsteady State Mass Transfer

K = CLi / Ci

Lvr k 'c L "#

N Re = N Sh = 𝐺! = !
µ D AB !"

µ k' %# $&
N Sc = J D = c ( N SC ) 2 / 3 𝐽$ = (𝑁() )*/,
rD AB v '%

6
CONFIDENTIAL 1920II/BKF2432

Mass transfer in flow parallel to flat plates

0.5 1/ 3
N Sh = 0.664N Re N Sc (NRe < 15 000)
0.2 1/ 3
N Sh = 0.036N Re N Sc (NRe > 15 000)
-0.5
J D = 0.664 N Re (NRe < 15 000)
-0.2
J D = 0.036N Re (NRe > 15 000)

Mass transfer for flow inside pipes

(NRe < 2100)

c A - c A0 Dp
= N Re N Sc (For gas)
c Ai - c A0 L 4

-2 / 3
c A - c A0 æ w ö
= 5çç ÷÷ (For liquid)
c Ai - c A0 è D AB rL ø

(NRe > 2100)

k ' c D (k c p BM ) D
= 0.023(N Re ) (N Sc )
0.83 0.33
N Sh = = (0.6 <NSc < 3000)
D AB D AB

Mass transfer for flow past single sphere

0.53 1/ 3
N Sh = 2 + 0.552N Re N Sc (Gases; 0.6 < N Sc < 2.7; 1 < N Re < 48 000)
0.50 1/ 3
N Sh = 2 + 0.95 N Re N Sc (Liquid; 2 < N Re < 2 000)
0.62 1/ 3
N Sh = 0.347N Re N Sc (Liquid; 2 000 < N Re < 17 000)

Mass transfer to packed bed

(c Ai - c A1 ) - (c Ai - c A 2 )
N A A = Ak c
(c - c A1 )
In Ai
(c Ai - c A 2 )
N A A = V (c A 2 - c A1 )

Mass transfer for flow perpendicular to single cylinder

0.6 < N Sc < 2.6 for Gases

1 000 < N Sc < 3 000 for Liquid
50 < N Re < 50 000

7
CONFIDENTIAL 1920II/BKF2432

-0.487
J D = 0.6 N Re
Mass transfer to small particles (< 0.6 mm)
1/ 3
2 D AB æ Drµ c g ö
k 'L = + 0.31N Sc- 2 / 3 çç ÷
÷
è rc ø
2
Dp

Mass transfer to large gas bubbles (>2.5 mm)

1/ 3
æ Drµ c g ö
k ' L = 0.42 N -0.5
çç ÷÷
è rc ø
Sc

Mass Transfer to particles in highly turbulent mixers

8
CONFIDENTIAL 1920II/BKF2432

APPENDIX 2 – UNIT CONVERSION

9
CONFIDENTIAL 1920II/BKF2432

APPENDIX 3 – LIST OF TABLE

10
CONFIDENTIAL 1920II/BKF2432

11
CONFIDENTIAL 1920II/BKF2432

12
CONFIDENTIAL 1920II/BKF2432

APPENDIX 4 – LIST OF FIGURE

13
CONFIDENTIAL BKC/1920II/BKF2432

15
CONFIDENTIAL BKC/1920II/BKF2432

16