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Chemical Experiment of Ammonia Absorption: February 2013
Chemical Experiment of Ammonia Absorption: February 2013
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[February/2013]
CONTENTS
Contents ........................................................................................................................... 2
List of Appendices……………………………………………………………………….2
Summary ......................................................................................................................... 3
CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION............................................................................ 4
BACKGROUND ............................................................................................................... 5
CHAPTER 2 EXPERIMENTAL EQUIPMENT ................................................. 5
INSTRUMENTS ............................................................................................................. 6
EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURE ................................................................................. 7
CHAPTER 3 PROCEDURE AND OBSERVATIONS ................................... 8-14
CHAPTER 4 RESULTS AMD CALCULATIONS............................................ 15
CHAPTER 5 DISCUSSION ................................................................................ 16
CONCLUSION ……………………………………………………………………………17
REFERENCES ........................................................................................................... 18
LIST OF TABLES
LIST OF FIGURES
SUMMARY
The experiment undertaken was the ammonia absorption using counter current system. This is
a process used in the chemical industry and also within the petroleum industry whenever the
engineers obtain impurities from the down hole. These impurities can be diverse undesired
fluids or gas like H2S, CO2 and others.
By and large, the main objective of the experiment was to calculate the Kga which is known
as the overall mass-transfer coefficient. This coefficient would have been calculated based on
the data acquired from a system constituted of ammonia, air and water. This system had a
packed column, in addition to it the air flow rate was been changed whenever the system was
been restated.
In general, to proceed with the experiment in order to achieve the goals mentioned, a range of
instruments composed a system such as rasching rings, pipette, and volumetric glass.
Moreover, Air passing from a rotameter bubbles through a concentrated solution of ammonia
to pick up ammonia gas, also a stop watch to control the time. Safety was not forgotten,
equipment such as gloves and glasses were used due to the highly dangerous and volatile
substances used.
In general, a range of data were obtained and the flow rate of the air was been reduced from
14 to 4 overall. This resulted in a reduction of the volume of water absorbed and the duration
of the test was also longer as the air flow rate was been decreased. This fact was noticed by
the last test which nearly 30 minutes until the change of the parameter acid/basic.
Overall, the data required to make the calculation of the mass-transfer coefficient were
obtained in normal conditions, and it can be affirmed that the decrease of the air flow rate in a
absorption system can result in a longer time to determine whether the based was totally
transformed. These facts were relevant for our knowledge baggage, it was possible for the
group to understand a process used in real life and be able to observe the colour that indicated
an acid and an alkaline.
CHAPTER 1 -- INTRODUCTION
I.I Background
The counter current System consists of two or more High Rate fluidized bed
reactor vessels connected in series raw water flows from vessel to vessel being
contacted with resin of a higher capacity in each subsequent reactor vessel.
Fresh regenerated resin is fed to the final reactor vessel while loaded resin is
removed from this vessel at the same rate and sent to the preceding vessel. (10)
The counter current contacting of raw water with Resin Allows more selective
competing anions to be removed with partially loaded resin in the first reactor
vessel so that fresh resin added to the final reactor vessel will remove less
selective target anions such as nitrate and bromide. This configuration can also
be used to remove high levels of more selective anions. The more efficient
sequential loading of Resin reduces the regeneration system size that would
otherwise be required for challenging contaminant removal using a standard
High Rate System, allowing significant reductions in waste volumes, salt
consumption and operating costs. (10)
Gas absorption is a mass transfer process in which a gas mixture is contacted
with a liquid to specially absorb the components of the gas stream. This action is
found in the chemical industry for the recovery of valuable products and
cleaning of exhaust or vent streams. (4)
In the oil and gas industry the ammonia is neutralizing the acid constituents of
crude oil and for protection of equipment from corrosion. In addition to
it, Ammonia is recycled in the mining industry for mining of metals. (3)
Ammonia is a very valuable source of nitrogen that is essential for plant growth
Agricultural industries are the major users of ammonia. (2)
The NH3 is a usual factor that is used in the production of fertilisers such as the
Urea. This has a great impact on various products which adds to its significance
and importance in the chemical and petroleum industries. (1)
Ammonia Absorption is a process in which a gas mixture of ammonia contacted
with a solvent commonly water to dissolve on or more components of the gas
and to provide a solution of them in the liquid. (1)
The procedure taking place in the absorption column can also be visualised on the basis
of Two-Film theory. This happens in a way that an imaginary interface exists at the
border between the gas and water. With this the Gas and liquid films similarly exist at
either side of the interface and they are respectively bounded at the other end by the bulk
gas and bulk liquid. The concept clarifies that mass transfer will only occur at the
interface when there is a driving force on the gas film.
The aims of this experiment are to define the overall Mass Transfer coefficient of the
(ammonia, air, water) mixture at different air flow rates. This is a combined coefficient
of the fluid in the turbulent section, the transition section and the laminar film as well as
the coefficient of the mass transfer in the liquid.
A further objective of the experiment was to demonstrate why the gradient obtained
from the experimental curve did not match the literature value. This was verified by
calculating the Reynolds’s number as explained above.
Based on the theory investigated the formula used to calculate the mass transfer was:
K g a B.FA
0.83
Mass Transfer
Coefficient vs Air
Flow Rate
5.0E-01
4.0E-01 Mass
3.0E-01 Transfer
Coefficie
2.0E-01
nt vs Air
1.0E-01 Flow
0.0E+00 Rate
0 0.2 0.4
This information investigated shows that as the air flow rate increased the mass transfer
coefficient increased which shows a direct proportionality between them.
Water
rotamete
r
Air
rotameter
Packed
rings
H2O Air
Acid
H2O + NH3
Figure 2 – Photograph taken from the logbook sketch illustrating the system
Firstly, The water flow rate was set at 1L/min, and the water was allowed to
flow for 10 minutes to allow the packing to be fully wetted
Then bottle one and two were filled up with 5ml and 20ml of sulphuric acid
respectively before being diluted with distilled water up to an equal mark on
both bottles
Air flow was set to 14L/min and the air was allowed to bubble through the
Ammonia supply bottle. The air then went up through the column into the safety
bottle of sulphuric acid.
The stop watch was initiated as the three-way valve was turned on allowing the
air to go through the absorption train (Bottle one & two).
When the contents of bottle one changed colour to pink, the test was stopped by
closing the three-way valve and recording the time taken using the stop watch.
Then the water containing the NH 3 was collected over the same period.
the two bottles of acid were mixed together and were them used in back titration
using 0.01M solution of sodium Hydroxide (NaOH)
After that, 25ml sample of the water collected was also titrated using 0.01M
solution of Sulphuric acid ( H 2 SO4 )
The experiment was repeated for different air flow typically (14,10, 8, 4 L/min)
The results were tabulated in the tables shown in results & calculations section.
The Colum with the packed rasching rings was showing vapour.
The indicator showed the purple colour whenever the parameter changed
As soon as the three way valve is opened the ammonia/air mixture bubbles
through the acid bottles
The raching rings are randomly positioned to give maximum contact area
As the Air flow rate increased errors started occurring and less liable results
were obtained.
The volume of NaOH used for the back titration in the first test was unusually
very high and the test was rerun and found to be normal.
The air rotameter and water flow meter were not steady throughout the
experiment. This could lead possibilities of minor errors in the readings obtained
CHAPTER 4 – CALCULATIONS
(s) FW FA N ml ml ml
135 1 14 0.01 25 19.3 4.8
Sample Calculations
Sample calculation for the following tests tests in minute at air flow rate = 14, 10, 8, 4
L/m
First the values are converted to SI units the flow rate from L/m to L/s as shown below:
FA = 14 L / m → 14/60 = 0.23 L/s
The volume of H 2 SO4 used in absorption = 25 ml and the volume of back titration =
19.3 ml
Calculating
NH 3 in air leaving ( yo ):
2.9 10 5
xo = 0.0029 mol/L
10 10 3
FA yi FA yo FW xo
N k g a ( y) mean
Where:
And:
1
( y ) mean (ytop ybottom)
2
Change of concentration of ammonia (NH3) in air at the bottom of column is given by;
ybottom ( yi yo* )
Y*= 0.0012x y*= equilibrium value for ammonia concentration in the liquid
phase
So now calculating K g a :
N 0.000046
kg a 0.186
( y ) mean 0.000246 mol.s-1.m-2
Determination of the slope n from the Log – Log graph of kga against FA
Slope (n) =
-
135 60 0.23 0.00045 2.46E-07 0.0029 0.455 0.57403 -0.2672
- -
298.8 60 0.16 0.00043 6.14E-08 0.0015 0.184 0.69897 0.55351
- -
384.6 60 0.13 0.000120029 2.88E-08 0.0012 0.15 0.77814 0.65042
-
1800 60 0.06 0.000125004 4.17E-09 0.001 0.144 0.87506 -0.7296
0.0000003
2.5E-07
0.0000002
flowrate
1.5E-07
Series1
0.0000001
Linear (Series1)
5E-08
0
0 0.001 0.002 0.003 0.004
-5E-08
kag
Chart Title
0
-1 -0.8 -0.6 -0.4 -0.2 0
-0.1
-0.2
-0.3
slop 2
-0.4
Series1
-0.5
-0.6
-0.7
-0.8
slop 1
The increase of air flow rate (8, 10, 12, 16 L/min) as shown in figure 2 in this
experiment with constant water flow rate of (1 L/min) has resulted an increase of
mass transfer coefficient, this indicates that the mass transfer coefficient is
directly proportional to the air flow rates, as the air flow rates increases the mass
transfer increases, this is means the air molecules entering the column increase
there will be a better mixing of air and water. Which in return results increases
mass transfer coefficient.
The results obtained from the experiments indicates an increase in air flow rate
leads to more transfer of ammonia which in turn leads to an increase in mass
transfer coefficient.
The investigations undertaken during the research shows that the reduce of the
air would definitely affect the results of the mass transfer coefficient. The
counter-current is a very different process used in the industry compared to the
rest of the currents used in the absorp[tion.
In conclusion, the experiment allowed the group to consider the key points. These
points are:
The counter current system is the most effective in this type of process were the
air enters from the bottom and the water from the top
Considering the results it can be affirmed that the mass transfer coefficient is proportional to
the flow rate.
References
1- Unit Operations of Chemical Engineering, 5th ed., W.L. McCabe & J.C. Smith,
McGraw-Hill, 1993. ( accessed on 15.02.13 )
2- Chemical Engineering, Vol. 2. 4th ed., J.M. Coulson & J. F. Richardson, Pergamon,
1991. . ( accessed on 15.02.13 )
4- Separation Process Principles, 2nd ed., J.D. Seader & Ernest J. Henley, John Wiley &
Sons 2006 . ( accessed on 21.02.13 )
5- Physical chemistry: Chemical principles: the quest for insight; P.Atkins, L.Jones. 3rd
edition 2005; Freeman. (Or earlier works by Atkins & Jones) . ( accessed on 22.02.13 )
9- http://www.miexresin.com/files/partnerSite/TechNote_CounterCurrent_V0608.pdf (
accessed 27.02.2013)
Nomenclature