CHAPTER 8: MASS TRANSFER

MOLECULAR DIFFUSION:

1. Definition:
- Molecular diffusion refers to the movement of individual molecules through a group of
molecules without the aid of bulk fluid flow such as from stirring.

- For example, suppose a few molecules of liquid chemical A are placed in a particular
location within a large group of molecules of liquid chemical B. As all the molecules undergo
random movement (in liquids, we call this Brownian motion), the molecules of A will
eventually make their way to various locations throughout the available volume to produce a
distribution like that shown in. This movement is the result of many random collisions
between the molecules that are constantly in motion.
2. Fick’s Law:
- The rate of transfer of A molecules through B molecules from one location to another by
molecular diffusion is described mathematically by Fick’s Law, named after Adolph Fick, a
German physiologist who developed the equation to describe the transfer of materials in the
human body.

Fick’s law of diffusion

❑ d cA
Ṅ A ,x =−D AB A
❑
dx

- For a system in which there is pure diffusion only (no convection, no reactions), the
concentration profile is linear. Thus, Fick’s law can be approximated by

Simplified Version of Fick’s Law of Mass Diffusion

❑ c A ,2 −c A ,1 ΔcA
Ṅ A ,x =−D AB A
❑ =−D AB A
x2 −x1 Δx
Variable Definition Unit

Ṅ A ,x Diffusion transfer rate of species A mol/s

across area A in the x direction between
locations 1 and 2.

A Cross-sectional area across which m2

diffusion occurs (perpendicular to the x
direction).

D AB The binary diffusivity of species A in m2/s

species B (a coefficient reflecting how
easily A molecules move through B
molecules).

cA The concentration of species A mol/m3

c A ,2−c A ,1 The difference in concentration of mol/m3

species A between locations 2 and 1.

x 2−x 1 The distance between locations 2 and 1. m

- The above equation expresses the transfer rate in terms of a driving force ( Δ c A ), which
tends to produce the diffusion, and a resistance ( Δ x / D AB A ), which tends to oppose that
diffusion, so that

driving force
transfer rate=
resistance

Compare this with the electrical analog provided by Ohm’s Law, which describes the
“transfer” of electricity (current or I), as a result of a potential driving force (voltage or V)
through a material with a resistance (R) that tends to oppose that current:

voltage V
current = ∨I =
resistance R

Adjustments to the area for mass transfer:

- When we consider the area for mass transfer, A , we need to consider that some of the
apparent area may not be available to transport mass.

- For instance, imagine a porous membrane with a pore fraction of ϵ pore . In this case, the
actual area available for mass transfer is only the porous fraction of the total, and thus,

A=A apparent ϵ pore

3. Binary Diffusivity (Diffusion Coefficient):
- The diffusion coefficient (or diffusivity) is a proportionality constant between the molar
flux due to molecular diffusion and the gradient in the concentration of the species (or the
driving force for diffusion).

- The binary diffusivity, D AB, describes the ease with which a molecule of species A moves
through molecules of species B.

- When D AB is large and transfer occurs rapidly, the resistance is small, and when D AB is
small and transfer occurs slowly, the resistance is large.

- D AB depends on the properties of the molecules of A and B, including:

• Molecular size (which determines distances and spaces between molecules)

• Molecular shape (including the presence of long chains that can tangle)
• Molecular charge (which affects attractive or repulsive forces between the molecules)

- D AB is really not a constant but varies with the physical conditions of the system
(temperature, pressure,...). The most influential condition is the temperature, because that
variable affects the motion of the molecules, and greater molecular motion makes it easier for
molecules to move around each other.

References:
1. Introduction to Chemical Engineering Tools for Today and Tomorrow-Wiley - Kenneth A.
Solen, John N. Harb
2. https://www.engr.colostate.edu/CBE101/topics/mass_transfer.html