MASS

TRANSFER
PRESENTED BY
SADAN AZOUBI
SHAHED KHATEEB
&DANIA SHAHIN
OUTLINES

MOLECULAR DIFFUSION

MASS CONVECTION

MASS CONVECTION
WITH TRANSFER
ACROSS PHASE
BOUNDARIES

MULTI-STEP MASS
TRANSFER
DIFFUSION •DIFFUSION IS THE MOVEMENT OF
MOLECULES FROM A REGION OF HIGH
CONCENTRATION TO A LOW
CONCENTRATION VIA A
CONCENTRATION GRADIENT .
• THESE MOVEMENTS OCCUR IN THE SAME
SOLUTION.
•THE FACTORS THAT AFFECT THE
CONCENTRATION GRADIENT AFFECTS
DIFFUSION AS WELL.
•DIFFUSION IS THE MOVEMENT OF
SINGLE PARTICLES AND TRANSFER OF
PARTICLE’S MOMENTUM AND ENERGY
TO OTHER PARTICLES IN THE FLUID
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.
 MOLECULAR DIFFUSION

• THIS MOVEMENT IS THE RESULT OF

MANY RANDOM COLLISIONS
BETWEEN THE MOLECULES THAT
ARE CONSTANTLY IN MOTION. WE
CALL THIS BROWNIAN MOTION
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.
 According to a simplified version of that
equation, the rate of transfer of species A
by molecular diffusion in the x direction
is
N˙ A,x = diffusion transfer rate of species A (moles
transferred per time, e.g., gmol/s) across area A in the
x direction between locations 1 and 2
A = cross-sectional area across which diffusion occurs
(perpendicular to the x direction)
DAB = the binary diffusivity of species A in species B
(a coefficient reflecting how easily A molecules move
through B molecules), with units of area/time (e.g.,
cm2 /s)
cA = the concentration of species A (e.g., gmol/L)
Equation 2 expresses the transfer rate in terms of a driving force (∆cA), which tends
to produce the diffusion, and a resistance (∆x/DABA), which tends to oppose that
diffusion, so that

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
 THE BINARY DIFFUSIVITY, DAB
• describes the ease with which a molecule of species A moves through molecules of
species B.

• In other words, when DAB is large and transfer occurs rapidly, the resistance is small,
and when DAB is small and transfer occurs slowly, the resistance is large.

• DAB 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)

DAB varies with the physical conditions of the system. 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
 CONVECTION

• CONVECTION IS THE LARGE

MOVEMENT OF A LARGE MASS OF
PARTICLES IN THE SAME DIRECTION
THROUGH THE FLUID
 MASS
CONVECTION
THE METHOD BY WHICH
VELOCITIES AND FLOW
AID IN THE MIXING OF
MOLECULES OF
DIFFERENT TYPES.

mass convection distributes molecules much more

quickly than does molecular diffusion alone
 MASS
CONVECTION
WITH TRANSFER
ACROSS PHASE
BOUNDARIES
 MASS CONVECTION
WITH TRANSFER
ACROSS PHASE
BOUNDARIES
• A FREQUENT APPLICATION OF
MASS TRANSFER IN CHEMICAL
ENGINEERING PROCESSES IS
THE TRANSFER OF MASS
ACROSS “PHASE
BOUNDARIES” (INTERFACES)
WHERE TWO DIFFERENT
PHASES (SOLID, LIQUID,
AND/OR GAS) MEET.
 MASS CONVECTION WITH
TRANSFER ACROSS PHASE
BOUNDARIES
• IN DESIGNING PROCESSES WHERE MASS TRANSFER IS
TO OCCUR ACROSS PHASE BOUNDARIES, CHEMICAL
ENGINEERS USUALLY INCLUDE MASS CONVECTION
(FLOW) TO INCREASE THAT TRANSFER. THE FLOW
INCREASES TRANSFER BY MOVING THE TRANSFERRING
MATERIAL TOWARD OR AWAY FROM THE PHASE
BOUNDARY MORE RAPIDLY THAN WOULD BE THE CASE
BY DIFFUSION ALONE.
• EVERYDAY APPLICATIONS OF THIS PRINCIPLE, SUCH AS
BLOWING AIR ACROSS A WET CARPET TO DRY IT
FASTER OR STIRRING THE WATER IN A GLASS TO
DISSOLVE THE SUGAR THAT WE JUST ADDED.
 MASS CONVECTION
WITH TRANSFER ACROSS
PHASE BOUNDARIES
• IN MASS TRANSFER BY
CONVECTION AT PHASE
BOUNDARIES, THE NET
EFFECT (WHICH IS USUALLY
OF GREATEST INTEREST) IS
THE TRANSPORT
PERPENDICULAR TO THE
PHASE BOUNDARY AS
ILLUSTRATED IN FIGURE 8.5,
• MASS CONVECTION OF SPECIES A ACROSS A PHASE BOUNDARY INTO WHERE THE DIRECTION OF
PHASE II; THE SOURCE OF SPECIES A AT THE PHASE BOUNDARY IS NOT NET TRANSFER IS INDICATED
SPECIFIED BUT MAY BE BY EITHER DIFFUSION OR CONVECTION IN PHASE BY THE LARGE ARROW. IN
I OR BY DISSOLUTION OF PHASE I​
THIS FIGURE, THE MODE OF
TRANSFER OF SPECIES A IN
PHASE I IS NOT SPECIFIED IN
ORDER TO FOCUS ON PHASE
II
 MASS CONVECTION WITH TRANSFER ACROSS PHASE BOUNDARIES

• EQUATION FOR MASS CONVECTION

• CA1 = CONCENTRATION OF SPECIES A AT THE STARTING LOCATION (1) OF TRANSFER (THE PHASE
BOUNDARY IN THE CASE DEPICTED IN FIGURE 8.5)
• CA2 = CONCENTRATION OF SPECIES A AT THE ENDING LOCATION (2) OF TRANSFER (THE BULK OF THE
FLUID AWAY FROM THE PHASE BOUNDARY IN THE CASE DEPICTED IN FIGURE 8.5)
• N˙ A = CONVECTION TRANSFER RATE OF SPECIES A (NUMBER OF MOLES PER TIME, E.G., GMOL/S)
THROUGH AREA A FROM LOCATION 1 TO LOCATION 2
• HM = MASS-TRANSFER COEFFICIENT, WHICH ACCOUNTS FOR THE EFFECTS OF DIFFUSION AND
FLUID MOTION (UNITS OF LENGTH PER TIME, E.G., CM/S)
• A = CROSS-SECTIONAL AREA THROUGH WHICH THE TRANSFER TAKES PLACE (THE AREA OF THE
PHASE BOUNDARY)
MULTI-STEP MASS TRANSFER
•MEMBRANE SEPARATION

diffusion and convection occur in a

process to separate chemicals using
selective membranes

The selectivity may be achieved on:

• molecular size
• Solubility
An example of membrane
separation is the removal of urea
from the blood of kidney patients
using the membranes of a
hemodialyzer.
THE POROSITY (Ε PORE)

the fraction of the total membrane area consisting

of open pores is called the porosity (εpore), with
typical values ranging from 0.2 to 0.9

• the area for membrane transfer is

Atransfer = Atotalεpore

Atransfer = Aεpore.
the relationships in multi-step mass transfer:
1. transfer of the material from the bulk fluid on the input side of
the membrane to the membrane surface (mass convection)
2. passage of the material through the membrane (mass
diffusion)
3. transfer of the filtered material from the membrane surface on
the output side of the membrane into the bulk fluid (mass
convection).
• THE TRANSFERRING
MOLECULES MAY MOVE VERY
SLOWLY THROUGH THE FLUID
ON THE INPUT SIDE OF THE
MEMBRANE, OR MAY DIFFUSE
THROUGH THE
MEMBRANE VERY SLOWLY, OR
MAY BE SLOW TO BE
TRANSPORTED AWAY FROM THE
OUTPUT SIDE OF THE
MEMBRANE.
The total resistance for the process is the sum of the resistances for the individual steps,
In such a case, we say that the larger resistance is the limiting resistance.

Even if we reduce one or both of the other resistances (for example, by increasing the flow of
bulk fluid), the mass-transfer rate will not increase very much.

Mathematically, this is because the total resistance is dominated by the largest term in the sum
and will not change very much if a small term is decreased.
Up to this point, we have
As you solve mass-transfer
considered two types of “transfer
problems, one of the first things
mechanisms” or ways in which
you will need to do is identify the
mass transfer occurs: (1)
transfer mechanism.
diffusion and (2) convection.

if there is no flow, transfer will and if there is flow, transfer will

occur via diffusion (Equation take place via convection
8.1) (Equation 8.4).
“
LIQUID-LIQUID
EXTRACTION ”
• WHEN TWO LIQUIDS ARE MIXED TOGETHER, SOME PAIRS OF LIQUIDS
WILL BLEND TO FORM A SINGLE PHASE WHILE OTHERS WILL REMAIN
SEPARATE AS TWO PHASES. FOR EXAMPLE, AQUEOUS (WATER-BASED)
LIQUIDS WILL NOT MIX WELL WITH OIL-BASED LIQUIDS.
• LIQUIDS THAT WILL NOT MIX WITH EACH OTHER ARE SAID TO BE
IMMISCIBLE.

• GIVEN TWO IMMISCIBLE LIQUIDS IN CONTACT WITH EACH OTHER, A

THIRD CHEMICAL COMPOUND MAY BE PRESENT IN BOTH PHASES BUT
MAY PREFERENTIALLY DISTRIBUTE INTO ONE OF THE PHASES MORE
THAN INTO THE OTHER. IN OTHER WORDS, THAT COMPOUND MAY BE
MORE SOLUBLE IN ONE OF THE PHASES THAN IN THE OTHER.
• THIS DIFFERENCE IN SOLUBILITY CAN BE USED TO CREATE A DRIVING FORCE
FOR MASS TRANSFER. FOR EXAMPLE, IF ONE DESIRES TO REMOVE THE VINEGAR
FROM AN OIL MIXTURE, CONTACTING THE OIL WITH WATER WILL CAUSE MOST
OF THE VINEGAR TO LEAVE THE OIL AND TRANSFER INTO THE WATER. IN
CHEMICAL ENGINEERING, WE SAY THAT THE VINEGAR IS BEING EXTRACTED
FROM THE OIL.
• IN GENERAL, LIQUID-LIQUID EXTRACTION IS PROMOTED WHEN TWO
IMMISCIBLE LIQUIDS ARE BROUGHT INTO CONTACT SO THAT A PARTICULAR
COMPOUND WILL TRANSFER FROM ONE PHASE TO ANOTHER.
• IN THAT PROCESS, THE TRANSFERRING COMPOUND WILL TRAVEL THROUGH THE
ORIGINAL PHASE BY DIFFUSION OR POSSIBLY CONVECTION, THEN THROUGH THE
LIQUID-LIQUID INTERFACE BETWEEN THEM (I.E., THE AREA WHERE THE PHASES
ARE IN CONTACT), AND THEN INTO THE NEW PHASE BY DIFFUSION OR
CONVECTION.
• TO CAUSE LIQUID-LIQUID EXTRACTION TO OCCUR AT A MAXIMUM RATE, IT IS
DESIRABLE TO INCREASE THE CONTACT AREA BETWEEN THE TWO LIQUIDS.
• MANY TYPES OF PACKING HAVE BEEN USED, RANGING FROM GLASS MARBLES
TO CERAMIC CYLINDERS TO STAINLESS-STEEL RINGS, DEPENDING UPON THE
FLOW CHARACTERISTICS AND CHEMICAL REACTIVITY OF THE LIQUIDS
INVOLVED.
GAS-LIQUID ABSORBTION
• AS-LIQUID ABSORPTION IS SIMILAR TO LIQUID-LIQUID EXTRACTION WHERE THE
TWO PHASES ARE A GAS AND A LIQUID INSTEAD OF TWO LIQUIDS.
• THE TRANSFERRING SUBSTANCE TRAVELS THROUGH ONE OF THE PHASES (E.G.,
THE GAS) BY DIFFUSION OR CONVECTION, THEN THROUGH THE GAS-LIQUID
INTERFACE, AND INTO THE OTHER PHASE (E.G., THE LIQUID) BY DIFFUSION OR
CONVECTION (FIGURE 8.10).
• EVERYDAY EXAMPLES WHERE THIS KIND OF TRANSFER OCCURS INCLUDE BUBBLING AIR
THROUGH WATER IN AN AQUARIUM, CAUSING OXYGEN TO BE ABSORBED INTO THE WATER.

• IN SOME CASES, THE RATE OF ABSORPTION INTO THE LIQUID PHASE IS INCREASED BY
REACTING THE TRANSFERRING SPECIES IN THE LIQUID TO FORM A DIFFERENT COMPOUND
SO THAT THE LIQUID-PHASE CONCENTRATION OF THE TRANSFERRING SPECIES REMAINS
LOW.
• COMMON INDUSTRIAL APPLICATION OF GAS-LIQUID ABSORPTION IS THE REMOVAL
OF SULFUR DIOXIDE FROM COMBUSTION EXHAUST GAS INTO A CALCIUM-
CARBONATE OR CALCIUM-HYDROXIDE SOLUTION (WHICH REACTS WITH THE
SULFUR COMPOUND). REMOVING THE SULFUR DIOXIDE PREVENTS ITS ENTRY INTO
THE ATMOSPHERE, WHERE IT CAN FORM SULFURIC ACID IN THE AIR, AND CAN
PRODUCE “ACID RAIN,” WHICH FALLS FROM THE AIR ONTO THE SOIL AND GROUND
WATER.
THANK
YOU