PCE 351 SEPARATION PROCESSES I

Assignment 2: (Due Thur, Feb. 22, 2024)

Question 1
Component A in a mixture of gases A and B is absorbed into a liquid phase at a
rate of 0.15 mol/(m2.s). The fraction of A in the bulk of the gas phase is 5% by
volume, and the mole fraction of A in the bulk of the liquid phase is 0.01. The
mass transfer coefficients for the gas and liquid phases are 𝑘y = 10 mol/(m2.s)
and 𝑘x = 40 mol/(m2.s) respectively.
(a) Determine the interfacial concentrations of A (as molar fractions) in the gas
and liquid phases.
(b) Sketch the concentration profile in the region surrounding the interface,
approximately to scale.

Question 2
For a system in which solute A is transferring from the gas to liquid phase, the
equilibrium distribution is given by 𝑦 = 1.2𝑥𝐴 . At a certain point in the mass
transfer device the concentration of solute A in the bulk gas phase is 0.04 mole
fraction and that in the bulk aqueous phase is 0.025. At the same point, the local
individual film mass transfer coefficients for the transport of A through both
phases are 𝑘𝑦 = 7.2 kmol/(m2.h) and 𝑘𝑥 = 4.6 kmol/(m2.h).

Calculate the following:

(a) the overall gas-phase and the overall liquid-phase driving forces for mass
transfer.
(b) interfacial concentrations in both the gas-phase and the liquid-phase.
(c) the overall mass transfer coefficients based on both the gas- and liquid-
phases.
(d) the local mass flux, 𝑁A.