AL-BALQA’ APPLIED UNIVERSITY

FACULTY OF ENGINEERING
TECHNOLOGY
CHEMICAL ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT

Separation Process Laboratory

Gas Diffusion
Student Name: Dareen Sabra
Student Number: 31915019100
Supervisor: Eng. Arwa Al-Samadi
Lab Time: Wednesday (2:30-5:30)
Date: 11th/Nov/2023
Objective:
To determine the diffusion coefficient of gas by evaporation from a liquid surface.

Abstract:
Regarding to the experiment objectives which is to determine the diffusivity of the
vapor of acetone and to study the effect of temperature on the diffusivity, this
experiment is based on the mass transfer theory.

Theory:
The diffusivity of vapor of a volatile liquid in air can be conveniently determine by
Winkelmann’s method in which liquid is contained in a narrow diameter vertical
tube, maintained at constant temperature, and air stream is passed over the top of
the tube to ensure that the partial pressure of the vapor is transferred from the
surface of the liquid to the air stream by molecular diffusion. The rate of mass
transfer is given by:
𝑁𝐴 = 𝐷(𝐶𝐴 /𝐿)(𝐶𝑇 /𝐶𝐵𝑀 )
Where
D = Diffusivity (m2/s)
CA= saturation concentration at interface (kmol/m3)
L = Effective distance of mass transfer (mm)
CBm= logarithmic mean molecular concentration of vapor (kmol/m3)
CT = Total molar concentration = CA + CBm (kmol/m3)
Data:
L-Lo time t/L-Lo
1 6.86 6.86
2 5.66 2.83
3 5.85 1.95
4 9.98 2.495
5 9.3 1.86

1
 8

5
t/L-Lo
4

0
0 1 2 3 4 5 6
L-Lo

Slope=1.0335
𝐶𝐵1 − 𝐶𝐵2
𝐶𝐵𝑀 =
𝐿𝑛 (𝐵1 /𝐵2 )
𝑃 1
𝐶𝑇 = = = 0.03896 𝑘𝑔. 𝑚𝑜𝑙/𝑚3
𝑅𝑇 0.082 × 313
𝐶𝑇 = 𝐶𝐵1
𝑃𝑎 − 𝑃𝑣 1 − 0.8062
𝐶𝐵2 = 𝐶𝑇 = × 0.03896 = 0.00755𝑘𝑔. 𝑚𝑜𝑙/𝑚3
𝑃𝑎 1
𝑃𝑣 0.8062
𝐶𝐴 = 𝐶𝑇 = × 0.03896 = 0.03140 𝑘𝑔. 𝑚𝑜𝑙/𝑚3
𝑃1 1
0.03896 − 0.00755
𝐶𝐵𝑀 = = 0.01914 𝑘𝑔. 𝑚𝑜𝑙/𝑚3
𝐿𝑛 (0.03896/0.00755)
𝜌𝑙 × 𝐶𝐵𝑀 790 × 0.01914
𝐷= =
2𝑀𝐶𝐴 𝐶𝑇 𝑠𝑙𝑜𝑝𝑒 2 × 58.08 × 0.03140 × 0.03896 × 1.0335 × 10−3
= 102956.4 𝑚/𝑠
Conclusion:
Overall, the experiment produces the results agreeing to theory, based on result the
acetone decreased as the time increased caused by diffusion, by using
Winkelmann's method the gas of acetone coefficient was determined. As acetone

2
evaporate into surrounding air the vapor concentration slowly decreased from high
to low, the molecules moves from capillary tube to Surrounding air due to driving
forces.