Chapter 3 – Introduction to Material

Balances
Objectives:
 Choose an appropriate basis to solve a problem
 Employ an appropriate number of significant figures in your
calculations
 Develop a conceptual understanding of material balance
 Understand the features of open, closed, steady state and
unsteady state systems
 Familiarise yourself with the strategy to assist you in solving
material balance problems.

 The work in this chapter is restricted to single stage

material balance with no chemical reaction.

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 Significant Figures:

Measurement should include 3 pieces of information:

 The magnitude of the variable
 Its units
 An estimate of uncertainty

The number of significant figures for a number is a direct indication of

its accuracy.

We will use 3 significant figures throughout CET200S

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 Choosing a Basis

To select a basis, the following questions should be asked:

1. What do I have to start with (e.g. I have 100kg of oil)
2. What answer is required (e.g. the amount of product produced
per hour)
3. What is the most convenient basis to use (the basis should not
change the dynamics of the question. You cannot take a basis for
the entity you need to calculate)

These questions will suggest a suitable basis

It is important to always state the basis you have chosen for

your calculations

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 Definitions

PROCESS
One or a series of actions or operations or treatments that result in an
end product.

SYSTEM
Any arbitrary portion or whole of a process set out for analyses. You
define the system.

SYSTEM BOUNDARY
The limit set for the system.

OPEN SYSTEM
Material (mass) is transferred across the system boundary.

CLOSED SYSTEM
No material (mass) is transferred across the system boundary.

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ACCUMULATION
A change in mass/moles within the system with respect to time. i.e the
final condition minus the initial condition.

STEADY STATE
Values or variables within the system do not change with time.

UNSTEADY STATE (Transient)

Values or variables within the system do change with time

CONTINUOUS PROCESS
The material enters and/or leaves the system without interruption.

BATCH PROCESS
A closed system that treats a fixed amount of material each time it
operates

SEMI-BATCH PROCESS
An open process in which material enters the process during its
operation but none leaves.

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 The Material Balance

THE APPLICATION OF THE LAW OF CONSERVATION OF MASS.

OR

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 Case1: No chemical reaction

 Case 2: No chemical reaction and no accumulation

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Writing Balances for the system:

Water , W

Feed, F Product, P

H2O (x) H2O (x)

EtOH (y) EtOH (y)

Overall Material Balance:

F = W + P
Component Material Balances:
Water: xF F = xWW + xPP

Ethanol: yFF = yWW + yPP

x ethanol, F + x water, F = 1

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Strategy for solving material balances:

Step 1: Read and understand the problem statement

Step 2: Draw a sketch of the process and specify the system
boundary
Step 3: Place labels for unknown variables and values for
known variables on the sketch
Step 4: Obtain any missing information or needed data
Step 5: Choose a basis
Step 6: Determine the number of unknowns
Step 7: Determine the number of independent equations using
degrees of freedom analysis
Step 8: Write down the equations to be solved
Step 9: Solve the equations and calculate the quantities asked
for
Step 10: Check your answers

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Choosing a basis:
A basis is a reference chosen for the calculations you plan to make. A
proper choice of basis makes the problem easier to solve and more
accurate. The basis may be a period of time (hr, second, minute) or a
given weight of material or any convenient quantity.

When determining a basis, ask the following questions:

What do I have to start with?
What do I want to find?
What is the most convenient basis to use?

Example 3.1:
A continuous mixer mixes NaOH with H2O to produce an aqueous
solution of NaOH. Determine the composition and flow rate of the
product if the flow rate of NaOH is 1000g/hr, and the ratio of the flow
rate of H2O to the product solution is 0.9

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Example 3.2:

100 kg Feed (F) (P) Product

H2O (50%) H2O (17%)
EtOH (50%) EtOH
(W) Water

3.2.1 Set up an overall balance

3.2.2 Set up component balances
3.2.3 Solve the unknowns

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Example 3.3:
A thickener in a waste disposal unit of a plant removes water from wet
sewage sludge. How many kilograms of water leave the thickener per
100kg of wet sludge that enter the thickener if the dehydrated sludge
leaving the thickener is 70kg? The process is in steady state.

Example 3.4:
Draw a diagram and set up equations representing the total mass
balance and the component mass balances for a system involving the
mixing of two solutions. Solution A contains 15% protein, 20% fat and
65% water and B contains 15% water, 80% fat and 5% protein to make
a mixture of 100kg containing 25% fat.

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Example 3.5:
Drying involves the removal of water while the mass of solids remain
constant. There are two components, solids and water. A decrease in
concentration of water, indicating a loss, will increase the solids
concentration.

F = feed with a mass of 80% moisture material entering

D = product with a mass of 50% moisture material leaving
W = mass of water loss.

On a basis of 100kg feed;

3.5.1 How much water is removed?

3.5.2 How much product is formed?
3.5.3 What is the percentage reduction?

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Example 3.6:
Consider a separation unit, such as a distillation column, which
divided a process into 2 product streams. Let the feed rate = 10 000
kg/hr containing 60% benzene, 30% toluene and 10% xylene.

Distillate
Feed = 10000kg/hr Toluene = 5 kg/hr
60% Benzene Xylene = 3 kg/hr
30% Toluene
10% Xylene

Bottoms
Benzene = 5 kg/hr

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1. There are three streams with three independent components in
each stream.
2. The number of variables (component flowrates) = 9
3. The number of independent component balances eq’s = 3
4. The number of variables to be specified for unique soln = 9-3 =
6
5. 3 variables are specified and the feed flow and composition
fixes the flow of each component in the feed.
6. Number of variables to be specified = 6 - 3 = 3
Any three component flows can be chosen. Three flows are
specified so the others can be calculated.
7. When specifying the composition as a % it is important to
clearly state the basis
weight / mass
molar
volume
8. The abbreviations w/w and v/v are used to designate weight
and volume basis. For gases volume fractions are
equivalent to mole fractions
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