CH 3030

Applications of Mass Transfer

Dr. Jithin John Varghese

Assistant Professor
Department of Chemical Engineering
Email: jithinjv@iitm.ac.in

3 August 2020

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 Introduction to CH3030
Applications of Mass Transfer

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 Books
Textbooks
• Mass Transfer Operations- Robert E. Treybal
• Separation Processes Principles: Chemical and Biochemical Processes-
J.D. Seader, Ernest J. Henley and D. Keith Roper
• Heat Transfer- J.P. Holman 

Additional books
• Transport Processes and Separation Process Principles (Includes Unit
Operations- Christie John Geankoplis
• Separation Process Engineering (Includes Mass transfer Analysis)-
Philip C Wankat
• Process Heat Transfer- Donald Q Kern
• Heat Transfer: Principles and Applications- Binay K Dutta

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 Course plan and contents
• Week 1: Introduction and recap of a concepts
Introduction to separation processes, diffusion, mass transfer
coefficients, equilibrium and rate-based approaches to mass transfer
applications

• Week 2-5: Gas-liquid operations: Gas absorption/stripping and distillation

Gas absorption and stripping: design of stage type contactor-the
equilibrium approach, design of continuous contactors-the rate based
approach, stage efficiencies, concept of transfer units and column
height

Distillation: Single stage operation, material and energy balances,

multistage operation- method of Mcabe and Thiele, multistage
operation- method of Ponchon and Savarit, stage and overall
efficiencies, rate based method for continuous contact distillation
column 4
 Course plan and contents
• Week 6-7 Solid fluid operation: Adsorption and leaching
Sorbents, gas and liquid adsorption equilibrium, batch adsorption in
slurry, fixed bed adsorption, applications of adsorption-chromatography,
PSA/TSA/VSA

Introduction and applications of leaching, equilibrium stage approach

• Week 8: Liquid-liquid operation: Liquid extraction

Ternary liquid equilibrium diagrams, single stage and multistage
operation

• Week 9-11: Simultaneous heat and mass transfer and Heat exchanger
design
Psychrometric charts, wet bulb temperature, gas-liquid cooling
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operations, drying of solids and equipment, batch drying
 Course plan and contents
• Week 9-11: Simultaneous heat and mass transfer and Heat exchanger
design continued …
Exchangers types, overall heat transfer coefficients, LMTD, thermal
design of double pipe/shell and tube/compact exchangers, effectiveness
analysis and NTU, finned exchangers

• Week 12: Membrane processes and Crystallization

Introduction to reverse osmosis

Introduction to batch solution crystallization

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 Course learning outcomes
• Understand the fundamental principles in the design of separation
processes
• Use phase equilibrium relations and the single stage equilibrium
operation concepts to design single stage separation processes
• Apply the cascade design strategy to design multistage,
absorption/stripping column, distillation column, liquid extraction
contactors
• Use rate based design approach to size continuous contact equipment
• Apply concepts of conductive and convective heat transport for design
of heat exchangers
• Analyse performance and effectiveness of heat exchangers

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 Course conduct
• Lecture: Video lectures via Google Meet (meet.google.com/pia-jqsp-
uwv) → recorded and link shared through Moodle for viewing
• Course slides, documents→ uploaded on Moodle
• In class activities as appropriate: polls, quick answer, short numerical etc
(Acadly)
• Homework: practise problems and derivations (graded and ungraded)
• Tutorials: video sessions via Google Meet
• Q&A/ discussion: discussion forum in Moodle/Acadly and clarification in
class
• Feedback: end of 2nd week, 1 month and 2 month

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 Evaluation/assessment and attendance
Evaluation and assessment
• Internal assessment: homework/assignment → 20%
• End semester examination → 80%

Attendance
• Attendance will be taken during live sessions (minimum attendance
required will be announced by Dean Academic Courses)

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Separation Processes: An Introduction

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 Discussion
1. Key functions that differentiate Chemical Engineers from other engineers
is design and operation of reaction systems and separation systems
a) True
b) False

2. Mass transfer operations are a part of our everyday life

a) True
b) False

Give examples:

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 Basic separation techniques
Phase 1 Phase 1
Gas absorption
Feed Phase Feed Phase
creation addition Distillation

Adsorption
Phase 2 Phase 2
Feed Leaching
Phase 1
Feed Drying
Solid Phase 2 Barrier
agent Reverse osmosis

Crystallization
Phase 2
Phase 1

Refer Tables 1.1 to 1.3. of Separation Processes Principles: Chemical and

Biochemical Processes- J.D. Seader, Ernest J. Henley and D. Keith Roper

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Classification of separation processes based on
phases
Gas-liquid Gas absorption/stripping
Sublimation

Gas adsorption
Liquid-Liquid
Liquid adsorption

Gas-solid Leaching

Drying

Humidification/dehumidification
Liquid-solid
Crystallization

Distillation

Liquid extraction
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 Thank you

Any Questions

Email: jithinjv@iitm.ac.in

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