By

Dr.Azhar-Ul-Haq
 Absorption
 Stripping
 Desorption
 Absorbent
 Absorbate
 Equilibrium and Operating lines
 Theoretical Stages for Required Separation
 Minimum Solvent Flow Rate
 K-value is the phase equilibrium ratio of mole
fractions of a specie in two phases for vapor-
liquid system
 Vapor-liquid equilibrium ratio or K-value
 Ki=yi/xi
 Henry’s Law, Ki=Hi/P or xi=Pi/Hi
 Or xA=PA/HA
 Rault’s Law Ki=Pis/P or xi=Pi/Pis or Pi=xiPis
 Or PA=xAPAs
 Above table is for the figure shown earlier
 L and V are molar liquid and gas flow rates resp.
 More the no. of equilibrium stages, more the gas
absorbed
 More the absorption factor, more the gas absorbed
Henry’s constant for
solubility of gases in water

xi=Pi×1/H
 For absorber, high pressure and low temp.
 For stripper, low pressure and high temp.
 Creating high and low pressure is costly
 Lowering temp is also costly
 Min flow rate of solvent corresponds to infinite
no. of counter contact equilibrium contact
between phases
 Continuous and dispersed phases of gas and
liquid in mass transfer equipment
 (1)

Eq. 1 is absorber operating line

 (2)

Eq. 2 is stripper operating line

Operating line passing Equilibrium curve leaving
streams streams
 Operating lines are straight lines with
slope L'/V'
 Terminal concentrations are at
operating lines
 Min. absorbent flow rate is for infinite no. of
stages i.e min L’/V’
 At max flow rate, L′/V′=∞
 Overall solute balance on absorber gives

(3)
 For min. solvent flow rate L′min, XN will be in
equilibrium with YN+1
 So
(4)

 Solving above eq. for XN and substituting in eq.

(3), we get

(5)
 For dilute solutes
 So equation (5) approaches

(6)

 For X0=0, above eq. approaches

(7)

Min solvent rate increases with increase in V',KN

and fraction of solute absorbed
L'=1.1L'min to 2L'min
Pinch point at Lmin

Each operating line

passes through
(X0,Y1)
Stages in Absorber for L'/V'=1.5(L'min/V')
Stages in Absorber for L'/V'=(L'min/V')/1.5
 Prove that for the stripper
 Min. absorbent flow rate for absorption
 Equilibrium and operating lines for graphical
method
 How to determine operating line with four
different combinations of material balance
 Determination of no. of trays for required gas
absorption by equilibrium and operating
relations
 Determination of no. of trays of absorber by
graphical method