Absorption (part

1)
Prepared by khairunissa syairah bt ahmad
sohaimi
ABSORPTION
• mass transfer process
• separating a solute (A) or several solutes from a
gas phase by contacting the gas with a liquid
phase
• eg. absorbing NH3 from air using liquid water,
Acetone from air using liquid water
• liquid phase is immiscible in the gas phase

STRIPPING/DESORPTION
• solute is removed from a liquid by contacting it
with a gas
 GAS-LIQUID EQUILIBRIUM
Henry’s laws:
pA = HxA or yA = H’xA

where
pA = partial pressure of component A (atm)
H= Henry’s law constant (atm/mol fraction) in Appendix A.3-18
H’ = Henry’s law constant (mol fraction gas/mol fraction liquid) = H/P
xA = mole fraction of component A in liquid
yA = mole fraction of component A in gas = pA/P
P= total pressure (atm)
 SINGLE-STAGE EQUILIBRIUM CONTACT
yA1 yA2

xA0 xA1
Liquid & gas phases are brought into contact and separated
Long enough for equilibrium
Gas phase – solute A & inert gas B
Liquid phase – solute A & inert liquid/solvent C
Total material balance: L0 + V2 = L1 + V1
Balance on A: L0xA0 + V2yA2 = L1xA1 + V1yA1
Balance on A can also be written as
 x   y   x   y 
 A0   A2   A1   A1 
L’  1- x  + V’  1- y  = L’  1- x  + V’  1- y 
 A0   A2   A1   A1 
where L’ = moles inert C
V’ = moles inert B
• example

Equlibrium Stage Contact for CO2-Air-Water

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 293K. The two exit
gas and liquid streams reach equilibrium. The inlet gas flow rate is 100kg
mol/h, with a mole fraction of CO2 of yA2 = 0.20. the liquid flow rate
entering is 300 kg mol water/hr. Calculate the amounts and compositions of
the two outlet phases. Assume that water does not vaporize to the gas
phase.
 Example 10.3-1
V1 V2 = 100 kmol/h
1 atm
yA1 yA2=0.2
L0 = 300 kmol/h 293K L1

xA0 = 0 xA1
Gas phase= CO2 + air
Inert C = pure water
Balance on A: L0xA0 + V2yA2 = L1xA1 + V1yA1
Balance on A can also be written as
 x   y   x   y 
 A0   A2   A1   A1 
L’  1- x  + V’  1- y  = L’  1- x  + V’  1- y 
 A0   A2   A1   A1 
where
L’ = moles water =L0 (1-xA0) = 300 (1-0) = 300 kmol/h
V’ = moles air = V2 (1-yA2) = 100 (1-0.2) = 80 kmol/h
 0   0.2   x   y 
     A1   A1 
300  1- 0  + 80  1- 0.2  = 300  1- x  + 80  1- y 
 A1   A1 
 Example 10.3-1
 x   y 
0 


 0.2 
   A1   A1 
300 1- 0  + 80  1- 0.2  = 300  1- x  + 80  1- y 
 (1)
     A1   A1 

At 293K, Henry’s law constant from App. A.3-18 = 0.142 x 104 atm/mol frac.
yA1 = H’xA1 = (H/P)xA1 = 0.142 x 104xA1 (2)
Substitue yA1 = 0.142 x 104xA1 into eq. (1):
 0   0.2   x   0.142 x 104 x 
     A1   A1 
300  1- 0  + 80  1- 0.2  = 300  1- x  + 80  1- 0.142 x 104 x 
 A1   A1 

Solving for xA1: xA1 = 1.41 x 10-4

Substituting xA1 = 1.41 x 10-4 into eq. (2):
yA1 = 0.142 x 104 (1.41 x 10-4) = 0.2
Outlet flow rates: L’ =L1 (1-xA1) = L1 (1-1.41 x 10-4) = 300 kmol/h
V’ = V1 (1-yA1) = V1 (1-0.2) = 80 kmol/h
L1= 300 kmol/h
V1= 100 kmol/h
COUNTERCURRENT MULTIPLE-CONTACT STAGES

Total number of ideal stages = N

Total material balance:

L0 + VN+1 = LN + V1

Balance on A:

L0xA0 + VN+1yAN+1 = LNxAN + V1yA1

Balance on A can also be written as

 x   y   x   y 
 A0   AN  1   AN   A1 
L’ 1- x  + V’ 1- y  = L’ 
  1- x
 + V’ 
  1- y


 A0   AN  1   AN   A1 

operating line
 COUNTERCURRENT MULTIPLE-CONTACT STAGES

Graphical determination of N:

Dilute Concentrated
• example

Absorption of acetone in a countercurrent stage tower

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 twer is 30kg mol/h and the total inlet pure water flow to be used to
absorb the acetone is 90kg mol H2O/h. the process is to operate
isothermally at 300K and a total pressure of 101.3 Kpa. The equilibrium
relation for the acetone in the gas-liquid is YA = 2.53XA. Determine the
number of theoretical stage required for this separation.
 Example 10.3-2
VN+1 = 30 kmol/h
yAN+1 = 0.01
L0 = 90 kmol/h
xA0 =0
300K, 101.3 kPa A = acetone, B = air, C = water 90% acetone absorb
Acetone in VN+1 = 0.01(30) = 0.3 kmol/h
Acetone in LN = 0.9(0.3) = 0.27 kmol/h
Balance of Acetone in V1 = 0.03 kmol/h
Entering air = 30 – 0.3 = 29.7 kmol/h
Entering water= 90 kmol/h
V1 = 29.7 + 0.03 = 29.73 kmol/h
yA1 = 0.03/29.73 = 0.00101
LN = 90 + 0.27 = 90.27 kmol/h
xAN = 0.27/90.27 = 0.003
 Example 10.3-2
V1 = 29.73 kmol/h VN+1 = 30 kmol/h
yA1 = 0.00101 yAN+1 = 0.01
L0 = 90 kmol/h LN = 90.27 kmol/h
xA0 =0 xAN = 0.003

Given: equlibrium relation for acetone-water : yA = 2.53 xA

N theoretical stages = 5.2

 ANALYTICAL/ KREMSER EQUATION
V1 VN+1
yA1 yAN+1
L0 LN
xA0 xAN

Kremser equations – valid only when operating & equilibrium lines are straight
 
Absorption: y - mx  1  1 
ln N  1 0 1  
 
 
 y - mx  
  A  A 
N 1 0

ln A
where
m = slope of equilibrium line
A = absorption factor = Aav. = √(A1AN)
A1=L0/(mV1)
AN = LN/(mVN+1)
y -y
N  N 1 1
When A = 1 y 1 - mx 0
 ANALYTICAL/ KREMSER EQUATION
V1 VN+1
yA1 yAN+1
L0 LN
xA0 xAN
 yN 1 
Stripping:  x0 - 
 
m 
ln y N  1 1  A   A
  
 
 xN - 
 
N  m 
1
ln
where A
m = slope of equilibrium line
A = absorption factor = Aav. = √(A1AN)
A1=L0/(mV1)
AN = LN/(mVN+1)
x0 - xN
N y
When A = 1 xN - N  1
m
 Example 10.3-3
V1 = 29.73 kmol/h VN+1 = 30 kmol/h
yA1 = 0.00101 yAN+1 = 0.01
L0 = 90 kmol/h LN = 90.27 kmol/h
xA0 =0 xAN = 0.003
Given: equlibrium relation for acetone-water : yA = 2.53 xA

y N  1 - mx 0  1  1 
ln 1   
 


y 1 - mx 0  A  A 
N
ln A
A1=L0/(mV1) = 90/(2.53x29.73) = 1.2
AN = LN/(mVN+1) = 90.27/(2.53x30) = 1.19
A = √(A1AN) = √(1.2 x 1.19) = 1.195
 
 0.01- 2.53 0
1   1 
ln 1  


0.00101- 2.53 0   
1.195 1.195

N   
N = 5.04
ln 1.195




bye2