CL 319 [S1] Homework 2 Due date: 18 Aug 2022

1. Air containing small quantities of sulphur dioxide (SO2) is in contact with pure water.
SO2 dissolves in water through the interface between air and water. The partial
pressure of SO2 at the interface on the air side is 10 mm Hg. What is the molar flux
of SO2 when its transfer just begins? Henry’s law constant for the system is 840 (atm
cc/mol) and the liquid side mass transfer coefficient is 1.5 x 10-3 cm/sec. Report your
answer in mol/ (cm2 sec)

ANSWER: 2.8 x 10-10 mol/(cm2 sec)

2. Air is flowing into a small vessel filled with some packing. Pure water is passed
through the vessel. What is the mass transfer coefficient for the dissolution of
oxygen in water? The contents of the vessel are well mixed such that the
concentration of oxygen in water inside the vessel and at the outlet are same. Flow
rate of water is 1 litre per minute; concentration of oxygen in water at the outlet is 1.1
x 10-4 molar; Henry’s law constant for air water system is 43,800 atm; the interfacial
area offered by the packing is 2 cm2/cm3 of packing; volume of packing in the vessel
is 2 liters

ANSWER: 3 x 10-3 cm/sec

3. Water is flowing through a 1-cm diameter tube at 5 cm/s. The walls of the tube are
coated with a thin layer of benzoic acid. As the water flows from inlet to the outlet of
the tube, benzoic acid dissolves into it. What is the percent saturation of water with
benzoic acid after 1 m tube length? Mass transfer coefficient of benzoic acid in water
is 1.2 x 10-3 cm/s.

ANSWER: 9.2%

4. A wet T-shirt hung on hanger has a surface area of 0.6 m2. It loses water as follows:

Time, pm Weight (g)

3:15 661
3:20 640
3:38 580
4:00 553

. The saturation vapour pressure of water at the room temperature is 20 mm Hg. The
relative humidity is 20%. Find the mass transfer coefficient of water in air for the
above information.

ANSWER: 0.53 cm/sec or 4 x 10-4 g/(cm2 sec atm)

5. As part of the manufacture of microelectronic circuits, silicon wafers are partially

coated with a 5,400-A˚ film of a polymerized organic film called a photoresist. The
density of this polymer is 0.96 g/cm3. After the wafers are etched, this photoresist
must be removed. To do so, the wafers are placed in groups of twenty in an inert ‘
“boat,’’ which in turn is immersed in strong organic solvent. The solubility of the
photoresist in the solvent is 2.23 x 10-3 g/cm3. If the photoresist dissolves in 10
minutes, what is its mass transfer coefficient?
ANSWER: 3.8 x 10-5 cm/sec