Mass Transfer I

1. Fundamentals of Mass Transfer

a. Basic Concepts
 DISCLAIMER!
 The materials presented in lecture
presentations are only summaries of the text
materials
 The material covered in these presentations
can be incomplete
 Students will be examined according to the
text materials presented in the textbook and
handouts

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 Transport Phenomena
Transport Phenomena Driving Force

 Heat Transfer  Temperature Gradient

 Momentum Transfer  Velocity Gradient

 Mass Transfer  Concentration Gradient

(of a given species in a
mixture)

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 Definition
 Mass Transfer: Natural tendency to transfer a
given component in a mixture from a region of
high concentration (the source) to a region of
low concentration (the sink) aiming to bring
about a uniform equilibrium condition
Examples:
 Water evaporation from wet cloths
 Sugar dissolving in coffee AND diffusing uniformly
through the coffee
 Perfume diffusing to the surrounding atmosphere

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 Modes of Mass Transfer

1. Molecular Mass Transfer (Diffusion): Mass

transfer through a quiescent or unstirred medium
(fluid or liquid) due to random molecular motion;
Analogous to heat transfer by conduction.
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2. Convective Mass Transfer: Mass transfer
promoted by fluid flow, usually across an
unstirred boundary layer between two distinct
phases due to forced molecular motion;
Analogous to heat transfer by convection.

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 Examples on MT Modes
 Sugar dissolving in unstirred
water {molecular diffusion}
 slow process
 If you stir the water with a
spoon  Sugar dissolving in
Mechanically agitated medium
 {convective MT}  faster
process

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 Someone wearing a strong perfume stands
in front of you  it takes some time to notice
the perfume {molecular diffusion of perfume}

 If that person walks fast in front of you  the

movement agitates (and carries away) the
volatile perfume molecules fast  you notice the
perfume in a shorter time

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 Limitations of Mass Transfer

 Mass transfer occurs only in mixtures, and

the effect of each component must be
examined

 Each component may have different mobility

  Mixture velocity is evaluated by the
average velocity of all components present

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 Concentration of species “A”

Concentration of “A” = [amount of A (moles

or mass)]/[unit volume]

 Types of Concentration:

1. Mass Concentration “rA”

2. Molar Concentration “cA”

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 Mass Concentration
For “n” species in a mixture:
 Total density:
n
m1 m2 mn
   i   
i 1 Vol . Vol . Vol .
 Mass Fraction of “A”:
 A m A Vol . m A
A   
 mT Vol . mT
n


i 1
i  1.0

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 Molar Concentration
A kg m 3 kmole
cA  [ ]  3
MA kg kmole m
For gases (ideal gas law):
n A PA
cA   ( PA  partial pressure of A)
V RT
 For “n” components in a mixture:
n
nT PT
cT   ci  
i 1 Vol . RT

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 Mole Fraction
 Mole fraction of “A” in liquids and solids:
c A n A Vol . n A moles of A
xA    [ ]
cT nT Vol . nT total moles

 Mole fraction of “A” in gases:

c A n A Vol . PA RT PA
yA    
cT nT Vol . PT RT PT
n n

x y
i 1
i
i 1
i  1.0

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 Interrelations

A A A
cA  ; A   cA  T
MA T MA

For a binary mixture of “A” and “B”:

cA A M A A T M A
 x A or y A     
cT  A M A  B M B A T M A  B T M B

A M A
xA or y A  
 A M A  B M B

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 Exercise:
 For a binary mixture of “A” and “B”, Verify that:
 xAM A yAM A 
A   or 
 x A M A  xB M B y A M A  yB M B 

 Hint:
 Start with the definition of wA in terms of rA
 then convert rA to cA

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 Solution:
A
A 
T
cAM A
  divide both sides by cT
c A M A  cB M B


 c A cT  M A
 cA cT  M A   cB cT  M B

 xAM A yAM A 
 A   or 
 x A M A  xB M B y A M A  yB M B 

See Example 24.1

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