Chapter 1

Introduction to Stage and Continuous

Gas-Liquid Separation Processes

1
Asst. Prof. Dr. Parinya Khongprom
Department of Chemical Engineering
Faculty of Engineering, Prince of Songkla University
 Type of separation processes
2

Absorption
Liquid-liquid extraction
Scope of this course
Leaching
Distillation
 Membrane processing
 Crystallization
Adsorption
 Type of separation processes
3

Absorption
Solute A in stagnant nondiffusing gas B (A + B gas
mixture) is absorbed into liquid C.
Applications:
Absorption of ammonia A from air B by the liquid
water C
Absorption of SO2 from the flue gases by the alkaline
solutions.
Reserse of absorption process: Stripping or Desorption
 Type of separation processes
4

Distillation
Volatile vapor phase and a liquid phase that vaporizes
are involved.
Vapor product contains more light component and
liquid product contains more heavy component.
Applications:
Distillation of an ethanol-water solution
Distillation of ammonia-water solution
 Type of separation processes
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Liquid-liquid extraction
 A solute or solutes are removed from one liquid
phase to another liquid phase.
 Applications:
 Extraction of acetic acid from a water solution by
isopropyl ether.
Extraction of antibiotics in an aqueous
fermentation solution by an organic solvent
 Type of separation processes
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Leaching
Extraction of a solute from a solid using liquid solvent.
 Applications:
Leaching of copper from solid ores by sulfuric
acid.
 Leaching of vegetable oils from solid soybeans by
organic solvents such as hexane.
 Leaching of soluble sucrose from sugar cane and
beets by water.
 Gas-liquid Equilibrium
7

Experimental procedure: for SO2-air-water system

 An amount of gaseous SO2,air and liquid water are
put in a closed container and shaken repeatedly at a
given temperature until equilibrium is reached.
 Samples of gas and liquid are analyzed to give the
partial pressure pA of SO2 (A) in the gas and mole
fraction xA in the liquid.
8

Figure 1.1 Equilibrium plot for SO2-water system at 293 K (20 C)
 Gas-liquid Equilibrium
9

Henry’s law: Equilibrium relation between pA in the gas

phase and xA, for low concentration
Equation for partial pressure
pA = HxA (1.1)
Equation for mole fraction
yA = HxA (1.2)
where H = Henry’s law constant, atm/mole frac liq (xA)
H = Henry’s law constant, mole frac gas
(yA)/mole frac liq (xA) = H/P
10

Example 1.1: What will be the concentration of oxygen

dissolved in water at 298 K when the solution is in
equilibrium with air at 1 atm total pressure? The Henry’s
law constant is 4.38 x 104 atm/mole fraction.
Solution
- The partial pressure pA of oxygen (A) in air is 0.21 atm.
- From Eq. (1.1)
0.21 = HxA = (4.38x104)xA
xA = 4.80 x 10-6 Ans.
 Single-Stage Equilibrium Contact
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 Definition
One contactor in which two different phases are brought
into intimate contact with each other and then are
separated. The various components diffuse and redistribute
themselves between the two phases.
For good mixing and long enough mixing time, the
outlets are essentially at equilibrium.
 Single-Stage Equilibrium Contact
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Figure 1.2 Single-stage equilibrium process

Inlet streams: L0, V2 (Known amounts and compositions)
Outlet streams: L1, V1 (Equilibrium with each other)
 Total mass balance
L0 + V2 = L1 + V1 = M (1.3)
where M = total mass
 Single-Stage Equilibrium Contact
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Assuming that three components, A, B, and C, in the system.
Component A and C balance
L0xA0 + V2yA2 = L1xA1 + V1yA1 = MxAM (1.4)
L0xC0 + V2yC2 = L1xC1 + V1yC1 = MxCM (1.5)
Where x = mass fraction in the L stream
y = mass fraction in the V stream
Remark: - To solve the tree equations, the equilibrium relations
must be known.
- L, V can be mole unit and xA and yA units of mole
fraction
Single-Stage Equilibrium Contact for Gas-Liquid System
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 Gas-liquid system
 Inlet streams: - Gas phase V (solute A + Inert gas B)
- Liquid phase L (Inert liquid C)
Assumptions: - Inert gas B insoluble in inert liquid C
- Inert liquid C does not vaporize to the
gas phase
 Outlet streams: - Gas phase V (A + B)
- Liquid phase L (A + C)
Single-Stage Equilibrium Contact for Gas-Liquid System
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Total mass balance: Equation (1.3) can be used.

Component A balance
For the case which only component A redistributes between
phases

(1.6)
where L’ = moles of inert liquid C
V’ = moles of inert gas B
Single-Stage Equilibrium Contact for Gas-Liquid System
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Relation between V and V’, L and L’

For V consists of component A and B
L consists of component A and C

V’ = V(1 – yA) = V1(1 - yA1) = V2(1 - yA2) (1.7)

L’ = L(1 – xA) = L1(1 - xA1) = L2(1 - xA2) (1.8)

***Both L’ and V’ are constant and usually known.

17

Example 1.2: A gas mixture at 1.0 atm pressure abs

containing air and CO2 is contacted in a single-stage mixer
continuously with pure water at 293 K. The two exit gas
and liquid streams reach equilibrium. The inlet gas flow
rate is 100 kg mol/h, with a mole fraction of CO2 of yA2 =
0.20. The liquid flow rate entering is 300 kg mole water/h.
Calculate the amounts and compositions of the two outlet
phases. Assume that water does not vaporize to the gas
phase.
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Solution
Base on the flow diagram in Figure 1.2
- Inert water flow rate: L’ = L0 = 300 kg mol/h (constant)
- Calculate inert air flow rate V’ using Eq. (1.7)
V’ = V2(1-yA2) = 100(1-0.20) = 80 kg mol/h
- Component A (CO2) balance

(E1.2-1)
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Solution
- Find the relation between yA and xA using Henry’s law
For CO2-H2O system, at 293 K, H = 0.142 x 104 atm/mol frac.
Then,
H’ = H/P = 0.142 x 104/1.0 = 0.142 x 104 mol frac gas/ mol
frac liq.
Hence,
yA1 = (0.142 x 104)xA1 (E1.2-2)
20
Solution
- Solving Eqs. (E1.2-1) and (E1.2-3), yields,
xA1 = 1.41 x 10-4
yA1 = 0.20
- Calculate the total outlet flow rates
 Countercurrent Multiple-Contact Stages
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Countercurrent stage process

 Inlet streams: L0, VN+1 (mol/h)
Outlet product stream: V1, LN (mol/h)
 Number of stages: N
 Transfer component between L and V: Component A
 Main component in L: Component C
 Main component in V: Component B

Figure 1.3 Countercurrent multiple-stage process

 Countercurrent Multiple-Contact Stages
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 Overall balance on all stages,
L0 + VN+1 = LN + V1 = M (1.9)
 Overall component balance on A, B, or C,
L0x0 + VN+1yN+1 = LNxN + V1y1 = MxM (1.10)
where x, y = mole fraction

 Two streams leaving a stage are in equilibrium with each

other. For example, in stage n, Vn and Ln are in equilibrium
 Mass flow rate and mass fraction can be used in these
equations.
 Countercurrent Multiple-Contact Stages
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Total balance over the first n stages,

L0 + Vn+1 = Ln + V1 (1.11)
Component balance over the first n stages,
L0x0 + Vn+1yn+1 = Lnxn + V1y1 (1.12)
Solving for yn+1,
𝐿𝑛 𝑥𝑛 𝑉1 𝑦1 −𝐿0 𝑥0
𝑦𝑛+1 =
𝑉𝑛+1
+
𝑉𝑛+1
(1.13)

Equation (1.13) is called an operating line (It relates the

concentration yn+1 in the V stream with xn in the L stream)
 Countercurrent Contact with Immiscible Streams
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In this case
 Immiscible component: B and C are immiscible in each
other
 Transfer component: A
 Component in V: A and B with no C
 Component in L: A and C with no B
The operating line eq. (1.13), when plot on the xy plot (Fig.
1.3)
 The slope of the curve, Ln/Vn+1
The slope varies if the L and V vary from stage to stage.
 The slope is constant for dilute operation.
 Countercurrent Contact with Immiscible Streams
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Figure 1.3 Number of stages in a countercurrent multiple-stage contact process.

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Example 1.3: It is desired to absorb 90% of the acetone

in a gas containing 1.0 mol% acetone in air in a
countercurrent stage tower. The total inlet gas flow to the
tower is 30.0 kg mol/h, and the total inlet pure water flow
to be used to absorbed the acetone is 90 kg mol H2O/h.
The process is to be operate isothermally at 300 K and a
total pressure of 101.3 kPa. The equilibrium relation for
the acetone (A) in the gas-liquid is yA = 2.53xA. Determine
the operating line and the plot on an xy plot.
27

Solution
- Given values
VN + 1 = 30.0 kg mol/h, yAN + 1 = 0.01
L0 = 90.0 kg mol/h, xA0 = 0
- Calculate the amount of entering acetone
Amount of entering acetone = yAN + 1VN + 1 = 0.001(30.0)
= 0.30 kg mol/h
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Solution
- Calculate the amount of entering air
Amount of entering air = (1 – yAN+1)VN+ 1 = (1 – 0.01)(30.0)
= 29.7 kg mol air/h
- Calculate the amount of acetone leaving in V1
Amount of acetone leaving in V1 = 0.10(0.30) = 0.030 kg
mol/h
- Calculate the amount of acetone leaving in LN
Amount of acetone leaving in LN = 0.90(0.30) = 0.27 kg mol/h
29

Solution
- Calculate V1
V1 = 29.7 + 0.03 = 29.73 kg mol air + acetone/h
- Calculate yA1
yA1 = 0.030/29.73 = 0.00101
- Calculate LN
LN = 90.0 + 0.27 = 90.27 kg mol water + acetone/h
- Calculate xAN
xAN = 0.27/90.27 = 0.00300
30

Solution
- Calculate the slope of the operating line
At the gas inlet position, LN/VN + 1 = 90.27/30 = 3.009
At the gas outlet position, L0/V1 = 90.0/29.73 = 3.027
Assumed constant slope = 3.0
- Coordinate of the operating line
(xAN, yAN+1) = (0.003, 0.01) and (xA0, yA1) = (0, 0.00101)
- Plot the operating line on an xy plot (Fig. 1.4)
 Countercurrent Contact with Immiscible Streams
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Figure 1.4 Equilibrium line and operating line for countercurrent

absorption in Example 1.3.
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The end