UNIVERSITI MALAYSIA PERLIS

EAT347 – MASS TRANSFER

ASSIGNMENT 1
DECEMBER 2018

1. The physical laws that govern the transport of mass, energy and momentum are based on
the notion that the flow of these entities is induced by a driving potential. In transport of
mass, the driving potential is expressed in terms of the molar concentration gradient 𝑑𝐶 ⁄𝑑𝑥
and the proportionality constant, D is known as the mass diffusivity of the species. The
whole expression of mass transport is well expressed by the Fick’s law. Explain, under what
conditions is the concentration gradient in Fick’s law a constant, and when does it become
a variable?

2. CO2 gas is diffusing at steady state through a tube 0.25 m long having a diameter of
0.010 m and containing N2 at 298 K. The total pressure is constant at 101. 32 kPa. The
partial pressure of CO2 is 456 mmHg at one end and 76 mmHg at the other end. The
diffusivity, DAB is 1.67 × 10−5 m2/s at 298 K. Calculate the flux of CO2 for equimolar counter-
diffusion.

3. A slurry used in a chemical processing is to be filtered in the plate-and-frame press having

20 frames and 0.873 m2 area per frame. Data below are reported as follows at a constant
pressure of 338 kN/m2. The filter area of the plate-and-frame press was
A = 0.0439 m2 and the slurry concentration was cs= 23.47 kg/m3. Calculate the constants
α and Rm for the experimental data given.

Table Q3: volume of filtered collected at time, t