Faculty of Engineering Mass Transfer

Cairo University Third Year

Petrochemical Engineering Department Sheet 4: Absorption

1. It is desired to absorb 80% of ammonia in a 2 mol% ammonia-air mixture. Pure

water is used as a solvent. The gas rate is 14 Ibmol/hr. If the equilibrium relation is (y =2.53 x),
where y & x are the mole fraction of ammonia in the gas and the liquid phase
respectively:
a- Find the necessary amount of water to perform this separation in case of single
stage is used with estimated 90% stage efficiency with respect to gas phase.
b- Number of ideal stages in a counter current tower if the solvent flow rate is 105
lbmol/hr.
c- Number of actual stages (for case b) with overall efficiency of 30%.

2. Pure water is used to absorb ammonia from air-ammonia stream at 20oC and
1 atm using co-current spray column. If 10 Kgmol/min of gas containing 0.3
Kgmol ammonia/Kgmol of pure air is contacted with 10 Kgmol/min of pure water.
i- Calculate the percent ammonia absorbed considering the two phases leaving the
column are at equilibrium.
ii- Can we obtain 99% removal of ammonia from air? How?
The equilibrium relation is given to be y=1.25x, where y and x are
the mole fractions of ammonia in air and water respectively.

3. An air-ammonia mixture containing 2% NH3 is to be scrubbed at 68 °F

and 1 atm with pure water in a multi stage tower. The water rate will be 240 Ib/hr and
the gas rate will be 240 Ib/hr at the gas inlet. Assume that the tower temperature remains
constant, at this temperature the equilibrium relation is y=0.825x, where y and x are the mole
fractions of ammonia in air and water respectively. For 98% NH3 recovery finds:
a- How many theoretical plates are required?
b- If the overall efficiency is 75%, how many actual plates are required?
c- If a packed column is used, find the total height of the packing.
(Hint: Tower diameter is 1 m, KY.a = 28 Ib/hr.ft3)

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MASS TRANSFER SHEET 3
4. Ammonia is to be removed from an air-ammonia mixture of 10 mol% NH3 using
pure water as solvent. The tower operates at 1 atm and the absorption to be considered
isothermal process at 68°F. Entering gas is 1000 Ibmol/hr. If it is required to recover 95%
of the entering ammonia, calculate:
d- The minimum water rate.
e- If water is 20% greater than the minimum, calculate the necessary no. of
ideal plates.
f- No. of actual plates if overall efficiency is 25%.
Equilibrium data is as follows:
Moles of NH3/moles of water 0.021 0.031 0.042 0.053 0.079 0.106 0.159

PP of NH3, mmHg 12 18.2 24.9 31.7 50 69.6 114

5. In problem (4) if packed tower of 1 ft2 area is used instead of the plate tower, find the
necessary height of the packing. KOY.a=193 lbmoles NH3/ft3.hr.atm

6. As a result of an absorption process, there is a solution, which must be stripped of

absorbed solute. Feed of 500 kmol/hr of a solution of benzene in non-volatile material
with 0.1 mole fraction benzene. The solution will be preheated to 240°F and will be
stripped at 1atm with superheated steam at 250°F. The liquid effluent is to contain no
more than 0.005mole fraction benzene.
Assume that the operation operates isothermally and the equilibrium relation is given as
y=3.16x. Determine the minimum steam rate, the number of ideal trays required for 1.25 the
minimum rate.

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