© JCC 2017

Caveat emptor
The following two problems give the Henry’s law and its constant in the
following form: 0
pA = H x A
Our two-resistance model uses the following form for Henry’s law:
pA = HcA
To convert the given Henry’s law constants into the form needed for the
following two problems:
H0
0 H0 H 0 MB
pA = HcA = (Hc)xA = H xA ! H = ⇡ =
c ⇢B /MB ⇢B

Consistent nomenclature:
H: units of pressure / concentration
Hʹ: units of pressure

14

© JCC 2017

Example 1: hexane absorption 1

Given: Hexane vapor is to be absorbed from air into a non-volatile
mineral oil, with mass density 0.080 g cm-3 and a molecular weight 180 g
mol-1. In the dilute concentration range, the equilibrium relationship for the
dissolution of hexane vapor in the mineral oil at 20°C is described by pAi =
HʹxAi, with Hʹ = 0.15 atm. At the operating conditions, the hexane partial
pressure in the bulk gas stream is 0.015 atm and the dissolved hexane in
the bulk absorption solvent is 5 mol %. The total system pressure is 1.50
,>7
,8/
>30
>07:0<,>?<0
4=

D
'30
64;?4/
H67
7,==><,8=10<
.901H.408>

is kx = 0.01 kmol m-2 s-1
,8/
>30
2,=
H67
7,==><,8=10<
.901H.408>
4=
5y =
0.02 kmol m-2 s-1.
Find:
,
>30
9@0<,66
7,==
><,8=10<
.901H.408>
-,=0/
98
>30
64;?4/
:3,=0

KL
,8/
>30
796,<
I?B
#A; (b) the composition of hexane at the gas-liquid
interface pAi and xAi.
Data: ρB = 8 × 105 g m-3, MB = 180 g mol-1
pA = 0.015 atm
T = 297 K, P = 1.5 atm
kx = 10 mol m-2 s-1, ky = 20 mol m-2 s-1
pAi = HʹxAi, Hʹ = 0.15 atm 15
© JCC 2017

Example 1: hexane absorption 2

(a) Determine KL
,8/
#A
4<=>
.,6.?6,>0
2,=
,8/
64;?4/:3,=0
7,==
><,8=10<
.901H.408>=
kx MB 180 g mol-1
kL = ⇡ kx = 10 mol m-2 s-1 = 2.25 × 10-3 m s-1
cL ⇢B 8 × 10 g m
5 -3

ky
= 0.02 kmol m s = 13.3 mol m-2 s-1 atm-1
-1 -2 -1
kG =
P 1.5 atm
Then, compute KL:
✓ ◆ 1 ✓ ◆−1
1 1 1 ⇢B
KL = + = + 0 =
kL HkG kL H MB k G

( 2.25 × 10
1 +
-3 m s-1

)
8 × 105 g m-3 -1
(0.15 atm)(180 g mol-1) (1.33 × 10-3 mol m-2 s-1 atm-1 )
= 3.75 × 10-4 m s-1
16

© JCC 2017

Example 1: hexane absorption

✓
3 ◆
⇣p ⌘ pA ⇢ B
A
NA = KL (c⇤AL cAL ) = KL xA cL = KL xA cL
H H 0 MB

( )
(0.015 atm)(8 × 105 g m-3 ) 8 × 105 g m-3
= 3.75 × 10-4 m s-1 - 0.05
(0.15 atm)(180 g mol-1) 180 g mol-1
= 8.33 × 10-2 mol m-2 s-1
(b) Determine xAi and pAi
Equate the equilibrium line pAi = Hʹ xAi to a line with slope -kx / ky
>3<9?23
>30
9:0<,>482
:948>
>9
H8/
>30
48>0<=0.>498

0 H0
Equilibrium line: yAi P = pA = H xAi yAi = xAi
P
kx
Operating line: yA = xA + b, with b = 0.035
ky (0.01 = -0.5(0.05) + b)

H0
xAi = 0.5xAi + 0.035 Solve for xAi Determine yAi
P
Determine pAi = yAi P.
17
© JCC 2017

Example 2: wastewater treatment 1

Given: In a wastewater treatment process, water containing dissolved
TCE at a concentration of 50 mol m-3
08>0<=
,
.6,<4H0<
,
=3,669A
A066
mixed tank with an exposed liquid surface). The tank diameter is 20 m
,8/
>30
7,B47?7
/0:>3
91
>30
64;?4/
48
>30
>,85
4=

7
'30
.6,<4H0<
4=

enclose dot contain the gases that are emitted from the wastewater. Fresh
air is blown into this enclosure to sweep away gases emitted from the
.6,<4H0<
A34.3
,<0
=08>
>9
,8
48.480<,>9<
'30
'
.97:9=4>498
48
>30

01I?08>
2,=
4=


796
,8/
>30
'
.98.08><,>498
48
>30
01I?08>
64;?4/

phase is 10 mol TCE m-3
64;?4/
'30
.6,<4H0<
9:0<,>0=
,>


,>7
,8/


D
'30
64;?4/
H67
7,==><,8=10<
.901H.408>
19<
>30
.6,<4H0<
4=
5x = 200
mol m-2 s-1
,8/
>30
2,=
H67
7,==><,8=10<
.901H.408>
4=
5y = 0.1 mol m-2
s-1. Equilibrium of the air-TCE-water system at 20°C is represented by
Henry’s law, pAi = HʹxAi, with Hʹ = 550 atm.

18

© JCC 2017

Example 2: wastewater treatment 2

Find:
,
>30
9@0<,66
7,==
><,8=10<
.901H.408>
-,=0/
98
>30
64;?4/
:3,=0

KL
-
>30
I?B
91
'
1<97
>30
.6,<4H0<
64;?4/
=?<1,.0
.
?=482
,
7,>0<4,6

-,6,8.0
/0>0<7480
>30
4860>
@96?70><4.
I9A
91
A,=>0A,>0<
48
73 h-1)
<0;?4<0/
>9
08=?<0
>3,>
>30
64;?4/
01I?08>
.98.08><,>498
91
'
4=
.AL = 10
mol TCE m-3.
Data: D = 20 m, depth max = 4 m, P = 1 atm, T = 293 K
yA = 0.04, cAL = 10 mol m-3, cAL,0 = 50 mol m-3
kx = 200 mol m-2 s-1, ky = 0.1 mol m-2 s-1
pAi = HʹxAi, Hʹ = 550 atm
(a) Determine KL
1 1 1 cL cL P ⇢B ⇢B P
= + = + 0 ⇡ +
KL kL HkG kx H ky MB k x MB H 0 k y
998,200 g m-3 (998,200 g m-3)(1 atm)
= +
(18 g mol-1)(200 mol m-2 s-1) (18 g mol-1)(550 atm)(0.1 mol m-2 s-1)

KL = 7.78 × 10-4 m s-1

19
© JCC 2017

Example 2: wastewater treatment 3

-
0>0<7480
#A
⇣ pA c L ⌘
NA = KL (cAL c⇤AL ) = KL cAL
H0
✓ ◆
yA P ⇢B
= KL cAL
H 0 MB
(0.04)(1 atm)(998,200 g m-3)
= 7.78 × 10-4 m s-1[10.0 mol m-3 - ]
(18 g mol-1)(550 atm)
= 4.64 × 10-3 mol m-2 s-1
(c) Material balance and v0
Assume: steady-state, well-mixed, no reaction, liquid-stripping
#
F
$('
F
!()
$('


⇡D2 ⇡D2 NA
(cAL,0 cAL ) v0 NA =0 v0 =
4 4(cAL,0 cAL )
π(20 m)2(4.64 × 10-3 mol m-2 s-1)
v0 = = 0.0364 m3 s-1
4(50 mol m-3 - 10 mol20m-3)