CHE3165: Separation

Processes
Unit Coordinator: Dr Lian Zhang
Unit Lecturers: Lian Zhang, Akshat Tanksale, Thanh Nguyen
Email: lian.zhang@monash.edu
Room: 69-206
Unit Learning Objectives
 Understand the principles underlying the operation of a
range of separation processes

 Apply the analysis of general equilibrium stage

processes (co- and counter current) to solve
engineering problems related to design and operation of
separation processes and unit operations

 Analyse the operation and performance of a range of

separation processes and unit operations

 Develop experimental skills in operating and analysing

the performance of separation unit operations

 Illustrate through laboratory exercises the practical

applications of the knowledge gained in separation
processes.
This Week’s Learning Outcomes

 Know layout and schedule of the unit (timetable,

texts, practicals and laboratory)

 Assessment (Assignments, Lab Report, Class Tests,

Final Exam)

 Introduction to Separation Processes:

 Review related topics such as momentum, heat and mass
transfer; thermodynamics
 Types of separation processes
 Totally immiscible phases in gas-liquid and liquid-liquid
separation
This Week’s Learning Outcomes

 By the end of this week you should be able to:

 Explain why Separation Processes are important in

Chemical Industry?
 Describe how can Separation be achieved?
 Explain what is Mass Transfer?

 Understand the parameters of separation processes

 Define Flux and Rate
 Explain the difference between concentration, mole
fraction, and mole ratio
 Quickly convert between all three of the above
Unit Outline
 Weeks 1 – 2
 Introduction; Revision of composition, Fluxes; Equilibrium-
stage separation of totally immiscible phases
 Weeks 3 – 4
 Equilibrium Stage Distillation
 Weeks 5 – 6
 Liquid-Liquid Extraction partially miscible phases; Molecular
Diffusion
 Weeks 7 – 8
 Molecular Diffusion Revision; Mass Transfer Coefficients; Gas
Absorption in Packed Bed Towers
 Weeks 9 – 10
 Gas Absorption in Packed Bed Towers; Adsorption on Solids
 Weeks 11 – 12
 Membrane base separation; Revision of the unit; Review of
Final Exam
Lectures – use text and take notes
 Recommended Text –
 Transport Processes and Separation Process Principles
Elementary Principles, 4th ed – Geankoplis, C.J.
 Full online version available through the library webpage,
http://library.monash.edu.au/vwebv/holdingsInfo?bibId=2
759230

Unit Moodle Website –

 http://moodle.vle.monash.edu/course/view.php?id=21580

Reference Texts –
Mass Transfer Operations – Treybal R.E.
Unit Operations of Chemical Engineering – McCabe, W.L.,
Smith J.C., Harriott, P.
Separation Process and Principles – Seader, L.D.
Lecturers in S1 2016

Lecturer (for Lecturer (week 4) and

Unit Coordinator
weeks 9-10) Tute/Lab experiment
and Lecturer
Leader

Room 207, Building 69

Room 206, Building 69 Room 203A, Building 35
Email:
Email: Email:
akshat.tanksale@monash.
lian.zhang@monash.edu thanh.nguyen@monash.edu
edu
Consultancy time: Previous coordinator,
Thursdays 3-5 knowledgeable for this
subject.
Timetable
 Lectures
 Check Allocate+

 Practise Sessions
 Check Allocate+

 Laboratory
 From week 8 to 10 in CL 37-G09
 Tuesdays and Fridays
 08:30 – 11:30, 11:30 - 14:30 and 14:30 - 17:30
Purpose of Practise Sessions

 Complete tutorials
 Work on assignments
 Make sure you understand the fundamentals
 Practice questions to use the principles learned in the
lectures

 Tutorials not assessed

 Solutions posted one week after the respective
questions.
Assessment - Overview
No Assessment Task Value Due Date
Weekly Quizzes (weeks 3- 0.75% per quiz, total Each Monday at midday,
1
12) 7.5% starting week 3

6/04/2016 17:00
2 Three group assignments 5% each, total 15% 22/04/2016 17:00
27/05/2016 17:00

Class test (lectures given

3 7.5% 27/04/2016 11:00
in week 5-7)

4 Lab report 10% Varies depending on lab session

5 Final exam 60% See exam timetable

NOTE: STUDENTS MUST OBTAIN A MINIMUM OF 45% IN BOTH CLASSWORK

AND FINAL EXAMINATION COMPONENTS AND A COMBINED UNIT GRADE OF
50% OR HIGHER TO PASS THIS UNIT.
Teamwork for Assignments and Lab Experiment

 All these must be done by groups;

 Reports need to be submitted through turnitin for groups;
 A similarity >30, reported by the turnitin, is deemed plagiarism and
penalized for 25% mark reduction;
 Individual marks will be moderated by WebPA assessment factor (PAF).
 The WebPA is compulsory for each Clayton student enrolled in this subjec

The WebPA link is shown as below:

http://eng-web14-v02.ocio.monash.edu.au/

Use your authcate to access the WebPA system from a computer in campus
connected to the wired network (no Wi-Fi), or from outside campus through a VPN
connection.
Context – Where this unit fits in

Second Year
 CHE2162 – Material and energy balances
 CHE2163 – Rates of heat and mass Transfer
 CHE2164 – Limits of heat and mass transfer

Third Year
 CHE3165 – Apply CHE2162 and CHE2163 principles
to design separation processes like distillation

Forth Year
 CHE4170 (Design project) – Apply CHE3165 in
Equipment Detailed Design
 Learning Model in CHE3165

Individual Reading before the Work with group mates in practice

classes each week classes and on tutorials and
assignments

Come to lectures, participate

and ask questions
Introduction to Separation Processes

 Why are Separation Processes important in

Chemical Industry?
 To purify, enrich, concentrate, refine or isolate desired
products from chemical mixtures such as –
 Mineral ores
 Intermediate chemicals or by-products of a reaction
 Waste product

 How can Separation be achieved?

 Momentum Transfer (Fluid flow, sedimentation, filtration)
 Heat Transfer (drying, evaporation, distillation)
 Mass Transfer (distillation, adsorption, liquid-liquid
extraction, membrane separation, adsorption,
crystallisation, leaching)
Introduction to Separation Processes

 What is Mass Transfer?

 Transfer of one substance through another on a molecular
scale (Treybal)

 Separation of a single-phase mixture into its components

(can be many)

 OR separation of one or more components from a multi-

phase mixture

 Usually components are separated one at a time

 Separation is achieved by transferring the component(s) to

a second, immiscible phase in intimate contact

Immiscible: incapable of being mixed

Examples of Separation Processes

 Drying Convective Air Flow

Air Diffusion in Air

Wet Solid Diffusion in Solid

 Leaching

 Adsorption
Examples of Separation Processes

 Gas absorption and Stripping

Gas A, C mixture Gas A, B, C mixture

Gas B Stripped
Liquid Solvent

Liquid Solvent
Absorbed
Gas B

Gas A, B, C mixture Gas A, C mixture

 Liquid-Liquid Extraction
Examples of Separation Processes

 Distillation
 Separation Process Configuration

 There are two fundamentally different ways of

contacting immiscible phases:
 Continuous Contact
 Preferably counter current
 Use membrane if the phases are miscible

Phase V (yA)

Phase L (xA)

Transfer of component(s) A
Separation Process Configuration

 There are two fundamentally different ways of

contacting immiscible phases:
 Stagewise contact
 Invariably Counter Current
 Transfer of Components occur in mixers
What do these look like?

Continuous Stagewise
Distillation column video
Selection of Appropriate Separation Processes

 Feed Conditions (composition, flow rate, T, P and

Phase)

 Product Specification (required purity, T, P and

phase)

 Physical Property Differences – Molecular,

Thermodynamics and Transport

 Operational Characteristics – Ease of scale up or

staging, T, P and Phase, size limitations, energy
requirements
Mechanism of Mass Transfer

 Mechanism of Mass Transfer is same in both

Continuous and Stagewise Contact
 Molecular Diffusion, usually augmented by turbulence and
convection

Intrinsic rate of mass transfer from phase V to

phase L, on a molar basis –
Moles of i transferred
 Flux of i =
(Area of Contact) x (Time)
Moles of i transferred
 Rate = Flux × Area of contact =
(Time)

Flux is inherently very small, because diffusion is a slow process

However Rate can be increased by increasing the Area of
Contact
Analysis of Mass Transfer Operation

 Operating Parameters
 Usually phase inlet flows & compositions plus a design
specification, e.g. 99% removal of component

 Overall Mass Balance

 Total Mass/moles and Solute Mass/moles
 All terminal (in/out) flows and compositions can be
calculated

 Equilibrium Distribution of Solute between Phase V

and L
 From thermodynamics or experiment, e.g. Raoult’s Law,
Henry’s Law, Nernst’s Law (Distribution coefficient), plus
many others
Analysis of Mass Transfer Operation

The following equations/information are available –

 Rate Equation
 For rate of transfer of component between the phases
(requires Mass Transfer Coefficient data)

 Mass Balances
 From one end of the process to an arbitrary point inside
the equipment
 Total Mass and Solute Mass
“Operating Line”
 This is the single most important equation in the
analysis
 Geank.
Continuous Contact
10.4A
 In this contact method, the phase compositions
vary continuously with position in the equipment:
 Differential Equations
 Also, equilibrium cannot exist anywhere in the
equipment, or the transfer process would stop.
 The rate of mass transfer is an important
parameter in the analysis.
 Result of the analysis is the area of contact
required for a specified separation (or vice versa).
 Equipment size (e.g. diameter) depends on
hydraulics of the two phases
Stagewise Contact Geank.
10.3, 12.7
 Repeated mixing and separation of phases
 each time allow enough residence time for mass transfer
to approach equilibrium
 Equilibrium stage ≡ Ideal stage ≡ Theoretical stage
 If equilibrium is achieved in each stage then the
mass transfer rate become irrelevant
 Algebraic equations (simpler analysis)
 If equilibrium is not achieved, allow for this with an
efficiency for each stage
 Assume equilibrium is achieved in every stage,
then calculate the number of equilibrium stages
needed
 Then efficiency = (ideal stages) / (actual stages)
Stagewise Contact

 Start off with stagewise analysis because of

simplicity

 Only algebraic equations need to be solved - but

sometimes iteratively

 Assume Equilibrium
 The exit streams from every stage are in equilibrium
Review of Composition
 Revision - composition (Binary mixture A + B)

 Basis: mole (n) or mass (m)

 Conversion between the two requires MA MB

 Concentration:

 Fraction:

 also

 NB: Gas y Liquid x

Review of Composition
 Ratio:

 Fraction ⇋ Ratio

 XA > xA ALWAYS
Review of Composition

 Concentration ⇋ Fraction
 Ideal gas
 Mixture PTotV =
 For a single component
A in the gas mixture pAV = (Dalton’s law)
 pA is often used as a measure of gas concentration
 Divide component A by mixture

 Also from Dalton’s Law for A

Review of Composition

 Also from the total mixture equation

 Combining CA and CTot

 Liquids
Review of Composition

Flowrates

Flux

 Average velocity Mass or Molar velocity (mol)/(m2)(s)

𝜈 Gy (Gas)
Gx (Liquid)
Review of Composition
 In this unit use mainly molar rates
 V (Total mol/second) GAS
 L (Total mol/second) LIQUID

 ⇒ Molar rates of solute component A is given by

 VyA or LxA

 Solute free molar flow rates (i.e. B alone, the solvent in liquid cases
or the inert in gas cases)
 V’ = yBV = (1-yA)V (mol B/s)
 L’ = xBL = (1-xA)L (mol B/s)
 V’ and L’ often remain constant during mass transfer
 Both V and L change during mass transfer, one increases and the
other decreases (by the same amount)
Review of Composition

 Hence molar rates of Solute A can also be written as

 V’YA or L’XA

with units of (𝑚𝑜𝑙 𝐵/𝑠)(𝑚𝑜𝑙 𝐴/𝑚𝑜𝑙 𝐵)or (𝑚𝑜𝑙 𝐴/𝑠)

This Week’s Learning Outcomes

 By the end of this week you should be able to:

 Explain why Separation Processes are important in
Chemical Industry?
 Describe how can Separation be achieved?
 Explain what is Mass Transfer?

 Understand the parameters of separation processes

 Define Flux and Rate
 Explain the difference between concentration, mole
fraction, and mole ratio
 Quickly convert between all three of the above