CHE 246

SEPARATION PROCESS

CHAPTER 3:
GAS
ABSORPTION
NORHAFINI BINTI HAMBALI
FACULTY OF CHEMICAL ENGINEERING
UITM PASIR GUDANG

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SYLLABUS CONTENT
 COURSE LEARNING OUTCOMES
 Describe gas-liquid equilibrium for ideal solution
according to Raoult's law.
 Differentiate packed and plate tower.
 Explain packing materials and flow arrangement in
packed tower.
 Calculate the packed tower diameter and height of an
absorption towers.
 Demonstrate the material balance and calculate the
number of theoretical stages in a multistage counter
current operation of a plate absorption tower by a
graphical method.
 Demonstrate effective team role and communication skills.
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3.3 EQUIPMENT AND DESCRIPTION FOR GAS ABSORPTION
Trayed Tower Packed Column Spray Tower

Packings

Bubble Centrifugal
Column Contactor

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3.4 PACKED TOWER: DESCRIPTION AND FLOW ARRANGEMENT

Packed towers are used for continuous counter – current in absorption.

The tower in Figure 4 consists of a cylindrical column containing:

A gas inlet and distributing space at the
bottom

A liquid inlet and distributing device at

the top

A gas outlet at the top

A liquid outlet at the bottom

A packing filling in the tower.

A large intimate contact between the liquid

and gas is provided by the packing
Figure 4 Packed tower flows

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3.4 PACKED TOWER: DESCRIPTION AND FLOW ARRANGEMENT
- Counter-current flows between the gas and liquid phases
Liquid in
- Contacting liquid/ gas interface on packings

- Liquid flows over the surface of the packings with a

general downward direction

-Gas flows through the interstices and voids of packings

with a general upward direction

- Suit for the applications where high gas removal

efficiency is required, i.e. control of SO 2 and HCl in
sulfuric acid and hydrochloric acid production.

- Packings’ types:-

i. Random
ii. Structured

Liquid out

Figure 3.4 : Packed column/ tower flows

and characteristics for absorption 6
3.5 Packing materials
3.5.1 Random Packings

- Provide large surface area for mass transfer

- Sizes range from 1 to 4 inches each

-Typical random packing materials

i) Ceramic Raschig rings
ii) Ceramic Berl saddle
iii) Metal Intalox IMPT
iv) Metal Pall Ring
v) Plastic Tellerette

- Design depends on corrosiveness of gas,

solvent, size of absorber, pressure drop and
cost.

- Refer to Table 10.6-1 (P659) for details properties

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3.5.2 STRUCTURED PACKINGS

- Packings are made in sections and fill

entire the column/ tower’s diameter.

-Design depends on corrosiveness of

gas, solvent, size of absorber, pressure
drop and cost.

-Typical structured packing materials;

i) Flexiceramic
ii) Mellapak
iii) Flexipac
v) Montz

- Refer to Table 10.6-1 (P659) for details

properties

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 PRESSURE DROP AND FLOODING IN PACKED TOWERS GAS

 The liquid distributed on the top of a packed bed trickles down by

gravity
 Flow of the gas is pressure-driven and the pressure is generated by a
blower or a compressor
 The gas undergoes pressure drop as it flows through the bed because of
 skin friction
 Frequent changes in the flow direction

 The maximum flow of the gas is available if the packing is dry, no liquid
throughput
 But when liquid flow the bed, a part of open space of the bed is occupied
by the liquid, and area available for gas flow decreases
 This is why the pressure drop increase with increasing liquid throughput.

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 PRESSURE DROP AND FLOODING IN PACKED TOWERS
 There is upper limit to the rate of gas flow in a packed tower, called flooding
velocity

 Above this gas velocity the tower cannot operate.

 At low gas velocity, the liquid flow downward through the packing, essentially
influent by upward gas.

 As the gas velocity is increase at a gas flow rate called loading point, the gas start to
hinder the liquid down flow and local accumulation of liquid start appear in the
packing.

 Further increase gas velocity the liquid can no longer flow down through the
packing and it blown out with the gas, this call flooding point,

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 HIGHER At flooding point, the liquid cannot flow down through the
GAS MASS packing and it blown out with the gas.
VELOCITY
Further increase gas velocity

At a gas flow rate called loading point, the gas start to

hinder the liquid down flow and local accumulation of
liquid start appear in the packing

Ideal gas mass velocity

LOWER At low gas velocity, the liquid flow downward through

GAS MASS the packing, essentially uninfluent by upward gas
VELOCITY

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 ACTIVITY 1

As an assistant chemical engineer in the Technical Department of GPP A, you

are required to suggest suitable Packed or Tray column to your company to
removed corrosive gas from natural gas. Discuss which is more suitable
column to be used.

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