Mass Transfer Operations

Q1. Ammonia from a ammonia-air mixture is to be absorbed in an absorption tower using

water as a solvent. Data for the absorption system is as follows: Air flow rate - 200 kg/h
Liquid phase compositions: At the top of packing - 0.000013 kg NH 3/kg H2O, At the bottom
of packing - 0.0006 kg NH3/kg H2O. Gas phase compositions: At the bottom of packing –
0.0084 kg NH3/kg inert gas At the top of packing – 0.0044 kg NH 3/kg inert gas. Calculate
flow rate of water entering the absorption tower.

Q2. Gas containing 2% by volume solute A is fed to an absorption tower at a rate of 0.35 m3/s
at 299 K (26oC) and 106.658 kPa pressure, and 95% of the original solute is removed by
absorbing it in a solvent B. Solvent containing 0.005 mole fraction of solute enters the tower
at the top and the exit liquid streams from the absorption tower contains 0.12 mole A/mole B.
Find out the flow rate of the solvent entering the absorption tower on solute-free basis.

Q3. Benzene is to be recovered from cool gas by scrubbing it with wash oil as an absorbent.
The coal gas contains 2% by volume of benzene and is to be fed at a rate of 855 m 3/h and
95% removal of benzene is required. The operating temperature and pressure are 299.7 K
(26.7oC) and 106.658 kPa. The wash oil has an average molecular weight of 260 and contains
0.005 mole fraction benzene as it enters the absorber. Calculate the minimum circulation rate
of the wash oil. The equilibrium relationship at the given conditions is given by

Where, Y-moles benzene/mole dry coal gas. X-moles benzene/mole benzene free wash oil.

Q4. A liquid mixture containing 40 mole% methanol and 60 mole% water is fed to a
differential distillation at atmospheric pressure, with 60 mole% of the liquid is distilled. Find
the composition of the composited distillate and the residue.

x 0.05 0.1 0.2 0.3 0.4 0.5

y 0.27 0.42 0.57 0.66 0.73 0.78

Q5. A feed containing 40 mole% benzene and 60 mole% toluene is to be distilled in a

fractionating column to get a top product (distillate) containing 90 mole% benzene and a
bottom product containing not more than 10 mole% benzene. The reflux ratio of 3 kmol per
kmol of product is used. Assuming feed to be a liquid at its bubble point (saturated liquid),
find the number of theoretical plates required and the position of the feed plate by McCabe-
Thiele method.

x 0 0.05 0.1 0.2 0.3 0.4 0.5 0.6 0.7 0.8 0.9 1.0
0.37 0.8
y 0 0.13 0.21 0.5 0.6 0.7 0.77 0.9 0.95 1.0
5 3
Q6. A mixture of benzene and toluene containing 60 mole% benzene is to be separated to
give a product of 95 mole% benzene and a bottom product containing 10 mole% benzene.
The feed enters a column at its bubble point. It is proposed to operate the column with reflux
ratio of 2.5. It is required to find the number of theoretical plates needed and the position of
feed plate. Equilibrium data:

x 0 0.05 0.1 0.2 0.3 0.4 0.5 0.6 0.7 0.8 0.9 1.0

0.37 0.8
y 0 0.13 0.21 0.5 0.6 0.7 0.77 0.9 0.95 1.0
5 3

Q7. A mixture of benzene and toluene containing 40 % benzene and 60 % toluene is to be

separated in a fractionating column to give a product (distillate) containing 96 % benzene and
a bottom product containing 95 % toluene. The feed is a mixture of two third vapour and one
third liquid. Find the number of theoretical stages required if reflux ratio of 1.5 times the
minimum is used and if relative volatility is 2.5.

Q8. 100 kmol of a mixture containing 50 mole% n-heptane (MV) and 50 mole% n-octane is
subjected to a differential distillation at atmospheric pressure; with 60 mole% of the liquid
distilled. Find the composition of the composited distillate and the residue using the Rayleigh
equation.

x 0.5 0.46 0.42 0.38 0.34 0.32

0.68 0.52
y 0.648 0.608 0.567 0.497
9 3

Q9. A fractionating column is designed to separate 15000 kg/h of a feed containing 60%
toluene and 40% benzene into an overhead product containing 97% benzene and a waste
containing 98% toluene. All % are by weight. Calculate the weights of the product and waste
product per hour. Calculate the number of trays using McCabe-Thiele Method assuming
reflux ratio to be 1.3 times Min. reflux ratio and Relative Volatility is 2.8.

Q10. A liquid mixture has a relative volatility of 2.5. Compute the vapour-liquid equilibria
for the liquid mixture. The above mentioned liquid mixture is fed to a distillation column for
separation purpose. Feed is a liquid at its bubble point containing 50 mole % of A (the more
volatile component). The product/distillate is to contain 95 mole % of A and residue is to
contain 10 mole % of A. Reflux ratio is 2.5. Calculate the number of ideal plates required and
the position of feed plate.

Q11. 1000 kmol/h of an ethanol–propanol mixture containing 65 mole% ethanol is to be

separated in a continuous plate column operating at 101.325 kPa total pressure. The desired
terminal composition in terms of mole fraction of ethanol are x D = 0.92 and xW = 0.07 The
feed is saturated vapour and partial condenser is used. When the reflux flow rate is four times
the amount of top product (distillate), find the number of theoretical plates required for the
separation. Relative volatility of the ethanol-propanol system may be taken as 2.10.
Q12. A methanol-water solution contains 50% by wt. methanol. It is to be continuously
rectified in a column operating at atmospheric pressure (101.325 kPa) to obtain a distillate
containing 95% methanol and a residue containing 5% methanol (by weight). The feed enters
the column at its bubble point. It is required to operate the column at a reflux ratio of 1.5.
Find graphically the number of theoretical plates required to effect a given separation and the
position of the feed plate.

x 0 0.05 0.1 0.2 0.3 0.4 0.5 0.6 0.7 0.8 0.9 1.0
0.5 0.7 0.8 0.9
y 0 0.27 0.42 0.66 0.78 0.83 0.93 1.0
7 3 7 6

Q13. A mixture of A and B containing 35 % A and 65 % B is to be separated in a

fractionating column to give a product (distillate) containing 93 % A and 96 mole % of A is
in distillate. The feed is a half vapour and reflux ratio is 4:1. The relative volatility is 2.5.
Find the number of theoretical stages in each section. Also, calculate minimum reflux ratio
for such operation.

Q13. A liquid mixture of benzene-toluene is to be distilled in a tower at 101.3 kPa. The feed
of 100 kmol/h is liquid and it contains and 45 mole% benzene and 55 mole% toluene and
enters at 327.6 K.A distillate containing 95 mole % benzene and bottoms containing 10 mole
% benzene are to be obtained. The average heat capacity of the feed is 159 kJ/(kmol.K) and
the average latent heat is 32099 kJ/kmol. Calculate the kmol/h of distillate and bottom
product and the number of plates required. BP of Benzene = 353K and BP of Toluene =
383.8 K

0.7 0.41 0.13

x 1 0.581 0.258 0
8 1 0
0.9 0.63 0.26
y 1 0.777 0.450 0
0 2 1

Q14. A methanol-water solution contains 80% methanol and 20% water. It is to be

continuously rectified in a column operating at atmospheric pressure (101.325 kPa) to obtain
a distillate containing 98% methanol and a residue containing 1% methanol. The feed is cold
The reflux ratio is 1.35 and the reflux is at its bubble point. Calculate (a) minimum reflux
ratio, (b) number of theoretical plates using total condenser (c) number of theoretical plates
using reboiler and partial condenser with reflux in equilibrium with a vapor going to final
condenser.

x 0 0.1 0.2 0.3 0.4 0.5 0.6 0.7 0.8 0.9 1.0

0.8
y 0 0.42 0.58 0.67 0.73 0.78 0.87 0.92 0.96 1.0
3
Q15. A mixture of A and B containing 35 % A and 65 % B is to be separated in a
fractionating column to give a product (distillate) containing 92 % A and 96 mole % of A is
in distillate. The feed is a saturated vapour and reflux ratio is 4:1. The relative volatility is
2.4. Find the number of theoretical stages in each section. Overall efficiency of plate is
assumed to be 60%. Also, calculate minimum reflux ratio for such operation.

Q16. A feed containing 50 mole % A and 50 mole % B is to be distilled in a fractionating

column to produce a distillate containing 90% A and bottom containing 90% B. Feed rate to
the column is 1000 kg/h and feed is at its bubble point. The operating reflux ratio is 1.5 time
Rm and overall plate efficiency is 0.75. Determine the actual plates required, the diameter
and height of the column. Relative volatility is 2.5, column operates at 1 atm, BP of A is
353.3K, BP of B is 383.8K, vapor velocity at top is 0.565 m/s, vapor velocity at bottom is
0.562 m/s, plate spacing is 450 mm, Assuming that the top temperature is to be equal to the
BP of A and bottom temperature is equal to be BP of B.

Q17. A mixture of A and B containing 30 wt% A and 70 wt % B is to be separated in a

fractionating column to obtain each of 95 wt%. Cal min reflux ratio nad the number of
theoretical plates at total reflux and the feed is 30% vapor. Cal the actual number of plates if
reflux ratio is twice the min reflux ratio and the overall plate efficiency is 60%. The system
follow Raoult’s law and data of vapor pressure is as

T, oC 64 67 70 73 76 78
A mmHg 760 820 920 1020 1150 1260
B mmHg 420 430 470 610 690 760