Lecture No: 9

PRINCIPLES OF DIFFUSION
AND MASS TRANSFER
BETWEEN PHASES
DIFFUSION
Definition:
Diffusion is the movement, under the influence of a
physical stimulus, of an individual component through a
mixture.
Common Cause:
Concentration gradient
What happened?
A concentration gradient tends to move the component in
such a direction as to equalize concentrations and destroy
the gradient.
When the gradient is maintained by constantly supplying
the diffusing component to the high-concentration end of
the gradient and removing it at the low-concentration end,
there is a steady-state flux of the diffusing component.
DIFFUSION
High Concentration End Low Concentration End

A - Substance
B - Substance

This is characteristic
of many mass-
transfer operations

Direction of diffusion
 DIFFUSION
Example of Mass Transfer with Diffusion:
Removing of Ammonia from gas mixture by absorption in water

Gas mixture with ammonia Water

Interface •Steady-state diffusion

•Unsteady-state diffusion
DIFFUSION
What Other causes of diffusion?
Usual cause: Concentration Gradient
Other Causes:
Activity Gradient (as in Reverse Osmosis)
Pressure Gradient
Temperature Gradient
External Force field (as in centrifuge)

Molecular diffusion induced by temperature is Thermal Diffusion

Molecular diffusion induced by external field is Forced Diffusion

Diffusion also takes place when fluids of different compositions are mixed.
The first step is often mass transfer caused by the eddy motion
characteristic of turbulent flow. This is called Eddy Diffusion
 ROLE OF DIFFUSION IN
MASS TRANSFER
 In all the mass-transfer operations, diffusion occurs in at least one phase and
often in both phases.
 In Distillation: the low boiler diffuses through the liquid phase to the interface and
away from the interface into the vapor. The high boiler diffuses in the reverse
direction and passes through the vapor into the liquid.
 In Leaching: diffusion of solute through the solid phase is followed by diffusion
into the liquid.
 In Liquid Extraction: the solute diffuses through the raffinate phase to the
interface and then into the extract phase.
 In Crystallization: solute diffuses through the mother liquor to the crystals and
deposits on the solid surfaces.
 In Humidification or Dehumidification: there is no diffusion through the liquid
phase because the liquid phase is pure and no concentration gradient through it
can exist; but the vapor diffuses to or from the liquid-gas interface into or out of
the gas phase.
 In Membrane Separations: diffusion occurs in all three phases: in the fluids on
either side of the membrane and in the membrane itself.
THIS IS NOT THE END,
BUT JUST BEGENING

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