Alexandria University

Faculty of Engineering
Petrochemical Department

Gas Absorption
Group Members ID
Rewaa Hamdi 5877
Nada Abdelwahab 5712
Aya Gamal 5561
Rawan Khaled 5651

Supervised by: Dr. Dina AbdelMoneam and Eng-Samar

 Table of contents Page
1. Main Concept 1

2. Ideal Absorbents 2

3. Types of Absorption 2

4. Choice Of Solvent For Gas Absorption 3

5. Factors affecting gad absorption process 4

6. Application 4

7. Absorption Equipments 4

8. Lab Experiment 9

9. References 10
 1. Main Concept

Gas absorption is an operation in which a gas mixture is contacted with a liquid for the
purpose of preferentially dissolving one or more components of the gas mixture and to
provide a solution of them in the liquid.

Therefore we can see that there is a mass transfer of the component of the gas from the
gas phase to the liquid phase. The solute so transferred is said to be absorbed by the
liquid.

In gas desorption (or stripping), the mass transfer is in the opposite direction, i.e. from the
liquid phase to the gas phase. The principles for both systems are the same.

Figure 1.0 Packed Column

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 2. Ideal Absorbents

a) Universal Absorbents

Universal all-purpose absorbents absorb water, petroleum or chemical based fluids and
are ideal for everyday clean-up of leaks and spills. Grey color masks stains to help
workplaces look clean, while saving money on premature replacement before fully
saturated

b) Oil Only Absorbents

Hydrophobic oil only absorbents absorb and retain oils and petroleum-based liquids
without absorbing water, for fast, effective clean-up of oil spills on land or water. Fibers
absorb up to 25 times their weight in hydrocarbons and can be used indoors or outdoors.

c) Absorbent Spill Kits

Whether cleaning small drips and leaks from machinery, or handling large environmental
incidents, spill kits contain products needed for effective spill control, containment and
clean-up.

3. Types of Absorption

There are 2 types of absorption processes: physical (non-reactive) absorption and

chemical (reactive) absorption, depending on whether there is any chemical reaction
between the solute and the solvent (absorbent).

 When water and hydrocarbon oils are used as absorbents, no significant chemical
reactions occur between the absorbent and the solute, and the process is commonly
referred to as physical absorption.
 When aqueous sodium hydroxide (a strong base) is used as the absorbent to
dissolve an acid gas, absorption is accompanied by a rapid and irreversible
neutralization reaction in the liquid phase and the process is referred to as
chemical absorption or reactive absorption.

Chemical absorption or reactive absorption is a chemical reaction between the

absorbed and the absorbing substances. This type of absorption depends upon the
stoichiometry of the reaction and the concentration of its reactants.

Chemical reactions can increase the rate of absorption, increase the absorption
capacity of the solvent, increase selectivity to preferentially dissolve only certain
components of the gas, and convert a hazardous chemical to a safe compound.

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 4. Choice Of Solvent For Gas Absorption

If the principal purpose of the absorption operation is to produce a specific solution, as in

the manufacture of hydrochloric acid, for example, the solvent is specified by the nature
of the product, i.e. water is to be the solvent. If the principal purpose is to remove some
components (e.g. impurities) from the gas, some choice is frequently possible.

The factors to be considered are:

a) Gas Solubility

The gas solubility should be high, thus increasing the rate of absorption and decreasing
the quantity of solvent required. Generally solvent with a chemical nature similar to the
solute to be absorbed will provide good solubility. A chemical reaction of the solvent
with the solute will frequently result in very high gas solubility, but if the solvent is to be
recovered for re-use, the reaction must be reversible.

b) Volatility

The solvent should have a low vapor pressure to reduce loss of solvent in the gas leaving
an absorption column.

c) Corrosiveness

The materials of construction required for the equipment should not be unusual or
expensive.

d) Cost

The solvent should be inexpensive, so that losses are not costly, and should be readily
available.

e) Viscosity

Low viscosity is preferred for reasons of rapid absorption rates, improved flooding
characteristics in packed column, low pressure drops on pumping, and good heat transfer
characteristics.

f) Others

The solvent should be non-toxic, non-flammable and chemically stable.

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 5. Factors affecting gad absorption process

a) Temperature

It’s required that the solubility of the solute increases in the liquid solvent so that
the gas absorption rate increase. However, the solubility of gases increases with
decreasing temperature. So, the process takes place at ambient temperature.

The process is exothermic; so by time, the process’s temperature incresases and it

must be accompanied with a cooling system.

b) Partial Pressure

The degree of gas absorption increases as the partial pressure of solute increseases.

c) pH

The pH of the solvent affects the absorption process and, therefore, the absorption
rate. Addition of acid or base leads to low absorption rate.

6. Applications

Gas absorption is used in industrial wastewater treatment, CO2 absorption from

greenhouse gases, and treatment of flue-gas and off-gas streams.

Most common applications:

1- Dehydration of natural gas.

2- Purification of air from all pollutants.

3- Production of some chemicals like sulphuric acid.

7. Absorption Equipments

 Absorption and stripping are conducted in plate (tray) columns, packed columns,
spray towers, and bubble columns.
 In general, operating pressure should be high and temperature low for an
absorber, to minimize stage requirements and/or absorbent flow rate. The reverse
is true for stripping.
 However, the operating pressure should not be too high and the operating
temperature should not be too low as to condense the feed gas.

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 a) Plate (Tray) Column

The number of trays, or stages, in a tray column is specific to a given application.

Equipment Design

The geometry of the trays within the column affects the extent and type of contact
between the vapor and liquid streams. The different tray types include sieve, valve, and
bubble cap. Sieve trays contain holes for vapor to flow through. Valve trays are similar,
containing holes with opening and closing valves. Bubble cap trays contain caps that
allow vapor to flow through tiny openings through the liquid.

Usage Examples

A tray scrubber column is pictured below. Common applications include removal of

micron-sized particles and volatile organic compounds.

Advantages

 The liquid/vapor contact in the cross flow of plate columns is more effective than
the countercurrent flow in packed columns.
 Can handle high or low liquid flow rates cost effectively.

Disadvantages

 Higher pressure drops than packed columns.

 Slow reaction rate processes.

Figure 7.a Plate Column

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 b) Packed Column

Packed bed columns use absorption to remove contaminants such as corrosive gaseous
emissions, acidic fumes, and various odors. Both random and structured packing had
been used.

Equipment Design

A packed bed column contains a support plate, a liquid distributor, and a mist eliminator.
The liquid stream flows through a liquid distributor and down the column due to gravity,
resulting in counter-flow, cross-flow, or co-current flow. Contaminants are transferred
from the vapor to the liquid, due to equilibrium or kinetic mechanisms, with the packing
providing contact between phases for this transfer.

Example

Packed beds are most commonly used in air pollution control, but they are also used in
the chemical, petrochemical, and food industries. One practical example is to absorb and
eliminate ethylene gas from a sterilization chamber. The water-soluble ethylene gas is
hydrolyzed to ethylene glycol.

Advantages

 Simple construction.
 Can handle corrosive materials due to corrosion-resistant packing.
 Better mass transfer than in spray columns.

Disadvantages

 Cannot handle extremely high or low flow rates.

 Cannot handle liquids with high viscosities.

Figure 7.b Packed Column

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 c) Spray Column

The gas flows upward continuously through an open chamber in which scrubbing liquid
droplets falls from spray nozzles through the gas. The gas pressure drop is small, but
separation is not as good as the bubble column. This column is widely used for its
simplicity, low pressure drop, and resistance to scale deposition and plugging

Examples

One example of a spray column is in the absorption of sulfur dioxide from coal-fired
boiler exhaust gases.

Advantages

 Low pressure drop.

 Only one stage.
 Most effective for solutes with high liquid solubility

Disadvantages

 Poor mass transfer.

 Low residence times.

Figure 7.c Spray Tower

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 d) Bubble Column

Bubble columns are a type of sparged tank. In a sparged tank, the gas stream is
introduced in the form of small bubbles and acts as the agitator.

The gas is forced under pressure through perforated pipes submerged in the scrubbing
liquid. As such the gas phase is dispersed and the liquid phase is continuous. As the
bubbles rise through the liquid, absorption of the gas occurs. This type of device suffers
from the high pressure drop due to the liquid hydrostatic head.

Examples

Bubble columns can be used to purify nitroglycerin with water; in the chemical industry
for hydrogenation, oxidation, chlorination, and alkylation; and in the biotechnology field
for effluent treatment, single-cell protein production, animal cell culture, and antibiotic
fermentation. Bubble columns can be used for radioactive elements because there are no
moving parts.

Advantages

 Uniform distribution because of high liquid circulation.

 Two gases that form an explosive mixture may be used.
 Low investment cost.
 Large mass transfer area.
 Can handle radioactive materials because there are no moving parts.

Disadvantages

 Low contact efficiency.

 Short gas residence time.
 High gas pressure drop.

Figure 7.d Bubble Tower

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 8. Lab Experiment

 Aim
The objective of this experiment is to study gas liquid absorption in an absorption
column:-
The reaction of carbon dioxide when it is contacted with sodium hydroxide solution.

 Procedure

1) Prepare 20 liter of 1N NaOH solution in a feed tank.

2) Check the concentration of the feed solution by titration against 0.1 N HCl.

10) Titrate the same sample, using methyl orange indicator against 0.1 N HCl

11) Calculate the balance on NaOH and CO2.

Theory
The absorption column in the experimental setup was packed with raschig rings. They
provide a large surface area within the volume of the column for the interaction between
liquid and gas and also enhance the contact time between liquid and gas. The liquid phase
is preferably sodium hydroxide solution of known concentration (not more than 2 N),
enters from the top and the mixture of carbon dioxide and air (inert solvent for gaseous
phase), and enters from the bottom of the column. Thus we have counter-current flow
column. NaOH is passed in excess of the theoretical requirement in the column.

The reaction which takes place in absorption column and the bubbling pot is:

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 9. References

http://www.separationprocesses.com/Absorption/GA_Chp03.htm

https://www.intechopen.com/books/osmotically-driven-membrane-processes-approach-
development-and-current-status/membrane-gas-absorption-processes-applications-
design-and-perspectives

http://www.separationprocesses.com/Absorption/GA_Chp03d.htm

https://www.justrite.com/absorbents-19.html

http://www.separationprocesses.com/Absorption/GA_Chp03-1.htm

Unit Operations of Chemical Engineering, 5th edition, McCabe And Smith

Jenkins, Scott. "Facts At Your Fingertips: Wet Scrubbers." Chemical Engineering.

December

http://encyclopedia.che.engin.umich.edu/Pages/SeparationsChemical/Absorbers/Absorber
s.html

P.V. Dangkwerts, “The absorption of gases in liquids,” Department of chemical

engineering, University of Cambridge, U.K., pp. 625-642, available online at
http://pac.iupac.org/publications/pac/pdf/1965/pdf/1004x0625.pdf, accessed 10 April
2015

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