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absorption
Absorption
-:Absorption
It is a gas-liquid mass transfer operation in which liquid
solvent is contacted with gas mixture for differential
dissolution of one or more components of gas and
.provide a solution of them in liquid
-:Uses of absorption
.Purification of gases (H₂S from HC’s) -1
Separation of gases (separation of dry gas [C₁,C₂] -2
.from LNG [C₃,C₄]
-:Production of useful liquid product -3
HCL (g) + H₂O (liq) → HCL (liq)
2NO₂(g) + H₂O (liq) → HNO₃ + HNO 2
SO₃ (g) + H₂O (liq) → H₂SO₄
:Applications of absorption
Hydrogen sulfide(H2S) is removed from hydrocarbon gases by -1
washing with alkaline solution (Amines).
2- Washing ethanol vapors from carbon dioxide from molasses
fermentor tanks with water to remove ethanol.
3- Acetone can be recovered from acetone-air mixture by passing
the gas stream into water in which acetone is dissolved while air is
.passed out
Carbon dioxide present in air is absorbed by sodium hydroxide-4
.(NaOH solution) in which chemical absorption takes place
.Nitrogen oxides are absorbed in water to give nitric acid -5
Removal of ammonia coming from coke ovens by water -6
Choice Of Solvent For Gas Absorption
The factors to be considered are
High absorption power
Which means that gas solubility should be high in the
solvent, which results in increasing the rate of
absorption and decreasing the quantity of solvent
.required
Highly Selective
The selectivity of solvent must be high in which solvent
.dissolve one and leave the others
Easy to recover
.Which means easily to be regenerated
Low volatility
The solvent should have a low vapor pressure to
reduce loss of solvent in the gas leaving the
absorption column.
Small viscosity
Low viscosity is preferred for reasons of rapid
absorption rates, improving flooding characteristics
in packed column, low pressure drops on pumping
and good heat transfer characteristics.
Cost
The solvent should be inexpensive, so that losses
are not costly, and should be readily available.
Other properties
Non-toxic, Non-flammable, Non-corrosive,
Chemically stable, low freezing point
Absorption Equipments
(A) Plate Towers:-
1-Multistage contact.
2-High separation , high capacity.
3-Relatively large diameter.
4-Cooling is done by
providing the plate
with cooling coils.
5- High pressure drop.
6- Easy to be clean.
(B) Packed Columns
1-Differential contact.
2-Used for highly
corrosive materials.
3- Small diameters <70-80 cm
4-Not easy to clean.
5-Packing materials are
made from(ceramics ,
bricks, wood, gravels,
stones , steel ,……)
To increase surface area of contact between the two phases in-6
packed columns, make more than one section which increase
the performance of
.the tower
cooling is done by dividing -7
the column
To many sections
out side the column
as seen in the opposite(
.)Figure
(C) Spray Column:-
1- Continuous contact.
2- Low pressure drop.
3- Low efficiency.
4- Low cost(empty).
5- Gas phase controlling.
6- Considered as one stage.
-:Wetted wall Column )D(
Single tube wetted wall column used
in labs for measuring mass transfer
.coefficient
Tubular )E(
-:Reactor
Where:-
H is Henry’s constant expressed as
kPa / mole fraction solute in liquid,
PA is the partial pressure of solute in
kPa,
xA is the mole fraction of the gas in
liquid phase
Henry’s law holds very well when the
partial pressure of the solute is less
than atmospheric. Above
atmospheric pressure , H may be
.independent of the partial pressure
The variation of H with temperature is
.strongly nonlinear function
-:For ideal systems Raoult’s law is valid
PA = PoA xA
Where
. PA , is the partial pressure of solute
.PoA , is the vapor pressure of solute
xA , is the mole fraction of the solute in
.the liquid phase
PA = H A x A
PA HA x A
= (by dividing each tearm by PT )
PT PT
y A = m* x A (where x A andy A are mole fractions)