MASS TRANSFER

■ When a system contains two or more components

whose concentrations vary from point to point, there is a
great tendency for mass transfer, minimizing
concentration differences in the system. The transport of
a constituent from a region of high concentration to one
of low concentration is called mass transfer.

■ The mass transfer mechanism, as well as the heat

transfer mechanism, depend on the dynamic system in
which it takes place. Mass can be transferred by
molecular motion in fluids at rest, or it can be
transferred from a surface contained within the moving
fluid, aided by the dynamic characteristics of flow, that
is, the forced movement of large groups of molecules.
 GENERAL CLASSIFICATION OF
MASS TRANSFER
There are two modes of mass transfer:

■ Molecular: Mass can be transferred through random

molecular movement in fluids (individual movement of
molecules), due to a difference in concentrations.
Molecular diffusion can occur in stagnant fluid systems or
in fluids that are moving.
■ Convective: Mass can be transferred due to the global
movement of the fluid. It may happen that the
movement is carried out in a laminar or turbulent
regime. Turbulent flow results from the movement of
large groups of molecules and is influenced by the
dynamic characteristics of the flow. Such as density ,
viscosity , etc.
 MOLECULAR TRANSFER
OF DOUGH.
Molecular transport results from the transfer of individual
molecules through a fluid by means of the disordered
movements of the molecules due to their internal energy.
We can imagine molecules moving in straight lines with a
uniform speed and changing their direction by bouncing
off other molecules after colliding. Then its velocity
changes both in magnitude and direction . Molecules
move in disordered trajectories, traveling extremely short
distances before colliding with others and being deflected
at random. Molecular diffusion is sometimes also called
the disordered path process.
 Basic mechanism
We will create a simplified model that explains the establishment
of a flow of particles between adjacent elements of a medium
when a concentration gradient exists between two points in it.
When two equal containers containing different numbers of
particles are put in communication, equilibrium is reached when
the number of particles is the same in each container. The balance
is not static but dynamic since the containers can exchange
particles at a microscopic level, although said exchange takes
place in both directions, with on average no net exchange in
either direction.
Mass transfer by convection is what

The speed equation corresponding to the

■ mass transfer is expressed as follows:

N A = k C ∆C A
WHERE:
(1)
N = It is the mass flow (It takes place in the direction
A

in which the concentration)

k = It is the convective mass transfer

C

coefficient.
The above equation is analogous to the
equation

q = is the rate of heat transfer

convective(Btu/h)
A = Area normal to direction e heat
(m 2 oft 2 ) it
Tedet c

e
it
s the difference of
exists between the surface and the fluid.
 dynamics and with the geometry of the
specific system under study.

■ Because of the close similarity between

energy transfer equations
ha yes
ndl
heat-efficient can be applied
mass transfer coefficient.
 CONSIDERATIONS
FUNDAMENTALS A
NEAR THE
= TRANSFER OF
1. When the flow is laminar, the transfer

If the fluid flow is laminar, then the entire

Transfer between the surface and the moving fluid
will be carried out by molecular means.

3. If the fluid flow is turbulent there will be a

physical movement of material packets along the
flow lines transported by the eddies present in
turbulent flow. The difference between laminar and
turbulent flows will be of vital importance in any
convective situation.
When mass transfer includes a solute

NA= kC (CA,S –CA) (2)

NA= Moles of the solute A that I rcara for

abandon
unit of time and per unit of interfacial area. fluid
ion

resents lgu
point within the fluid phase.
When the concentration boundary layer is defined,

CA concentration could be the global concentration

or concentration of homogeneous mixture.

There are 4 methods of evaluating the coefficients of

convective mass transfer which are:
Dimensional analysis coupled with experiments
Exact boundary layer analysis
Approximate boundary layer analysis
Analogy between the transfer of momentum, energy
and mass
- r Ilk/IVI— ii wu—

AND IMPORTANT IN THE

TRANSFER
CONVECTIVE
The dimensionless parameters of the transfer

Prandtl and Nusselt numbers.

The molecular diffusivities of the three transfer

phenomena are:
Mass diffusivity = DAB

Momentum diffusivity = v = µ ∕ ρ

= ρCP

(L2/t)
The ratio of the molecular diffusivity of momentum to the
molecular diffusivity of mass is called the Schmidt number.

The Schmidt number has an importance in convective mass

transfer, analogous to that of the Prandtl number, in convective
heat transfer. The ratio of the molecular diffusivity of heat to that
of mass is called the Lewis number:
Thermal diffusivity appears when a process of simultaneous
=He= convective transfer
of mass and energy.
The Schmidt and
Lewis numbers are
combinations of fluid
properties .
 FIGURE 1

SPEED AND CONCENTRATION PROFILES

IN A FLUID THAT CIRCULATES AROUND D
SOLID SURFACE

UL
 TRANSFER TO
A CURRENT THAT
FLOWS IN CONDITION
CONVECTION
FORCED
The transfer of mass from the walls of a

centering ,
The important variables, their symbols and
—= dimensional representations are those that appear
below:
Variable Symbol Dimensions
tube diameter d l
Fluid density ρ M/L3

Mass transfer coefficient kc L/t

 WHOSE PHASE
MOVEMENT MUST
TO CONVECTION
NATURAL
Natural convection currents will be created if

The important variables, symbols and dimensions are:

characteristic length l
fluid diffusivity DAB
 ■ A practical example where the transfer is applied
—==== mass connective is found in a solid moistened with a
volatile liquid that is exposed to a relatively dry gas, the
liquid leaves the solid and diffuses into the gas, operations
known as drying and others as desorption.

■ A home example is the removal of clothing by exposure to

air, where the moist object exposed I to room temperature
I in u two period of
time the humidity of the clothes disappears, the water
vaporizes this happens because the relative humidity of
the air
It is less than the water concentration of wet clothes.
DIFFUSION
MOLECULAR
CONCEPTS
■ Diffusion or diffusion coefficient D AB
It is a property of the system that depends on
the temperature, pressure and nature of the
components of the mixture.
■ Pressure .- Force exerted on the area. In a
gas, billions of molecules constantly collide with
the walls that contain it and generate pressure.
■ Temperature.- Average Kinetic Energy of the
molecules . Measurement of molecular
agitation.
 QUIL
Initial state intermediate state Final state
■ In the figure we see how the molecules move
in two directions, from left to left. To right vice
versa, crossing the plane that cuts it.
■ P and T remain constant and therefore the
transfer of momentum, kinetic energy and
mass that cross the plane are the same in
both directions.
■ When the system is in equilibrium, the net
transfer of momentum, Ec, and mass is equal
to zero.
 When
the

balance is affected by
external agents
Mass transport is caused by the difference in
concentrations (diffusivity)

■ If we modify the momentum of the molecule

from one region to another, the net transport
causes a phenomenon related to viscosity.
■ If we alter the temperature, that is, Ec, the
molecules will move from the region of highest
to lowest Ec, there will be a heat flow.
These phenomena where a flow of fluids
occur, be they liquids or gases, are known as
transport phenomena.

Its study is vital for the design of equipment,

study of flow profiles and chemical processes.

They are a vital tool for aeronautical, chemical,

mechanical, aerospace, industrial and other
engineering.
Table 2.1 Diffusivity of gases at standard atmospheric pressure! 101.3 kN/m-

System Temp, °C Diffusivity, m/sx 105 Ref.

-
H——CH, 0 6.25

O,—N,
CO—0,
0
0
1.81
1.85
3
3
CO——O, 0 1.39 3
Air—NH, 0 1.98 26
Air—H,O 25.9 2.58 - Yo

59.0 3.05 7

Air-ctanol 0 1.02 14
Air—n-butanol 25.9 0.87 7
59.0 1.04 7

Air—ethyl acetate 25.9 0.87 7

59.0 1.06 7

Air— aniline 25,9 0.74 7

59.0 0.50 7

A i re~tor obenzene 25.9 0.74 7

59.0 0.90 am A

Air—toluene 25.9 0.86 7

59,0 0.92 7
 Wilke-Lee modification of the method
Hirschfelder-Bird-Spotz, for non-polar gases and

10 ■ 4 ( 1.084 - 02.49 1/M + 1/M )T3 •

D
AB 1/M + 1/M
AB AB

rKi
]
8AB )

Where:
D AB = diffusivity, m 2 /s
T = Absolute Temperature, K
MA,MB = molecular weight of A and B, Kg/Kmol
P r = Absolute Pressure, N/m 2
r AB = molecular separation during the collision, nm=(r A +r B )/2
ℰ AB = Energy of molecular attraction
K = Boltzman constant
ℱ(kT/ℰ AB = function of the shock in the figure
 Emission of vapor into the atmosphere, either
by leakage or evaporation, dispersed by
dilution in the atmosphere,

and it spreads in it, dragged by

the wind and meteorological conditions.
The types of emissions depend on the nature of
the gases and the continuity or discontinuity of
the emission.
Light gases
Y
e

Passive or
neutral gases
Heavy gases

VARY BY PM of the time “plume” Continuous

gas Temperature T depending on time
and humidity of the IT SHOULD BE
environment Liquid ANALYZED:
droplets Chemical Turbulent jet dispersion
Reactions Neutral cloud dispersion,
Instantaneous form puff only at the mercy of the
“poof” Continuous atmosphere.
without depending on
 The force of attraction of liquids is greater

LIQUID DIFFUSION
than that of gases.
■ The dispersion speed of liquids is lower
than that of gases.
■ Molecules in liquids are very close and
collisions occur.
■ The average distance generated in collisions is
called the mean free path.
Liquids diffuse more slowly than gases.
The concentration of the components greatly
influences the diffusivity
■
■
 ■ Molecule-molecule proximity
■ Density

■ Resistance to the diffusivity of the liquid

 ■ The equations to
prediction)
predict the diffusivity of
solutes diluted in liquids are semi-empirical by necessity,
since the theory is not fully explained.

TYPES OF
DIFFUSION
■■They
Electrolytes
diffuseionize in solution, and diffuse as ions,
as molecules
(although they are treated as molecules due to their
electrical neutrality in many cases). Cations and Anions
have different diffusion rates
STOKES-EINSTEIN EQUATION

Hydrodynamic theory takes into

account the mobility of solute

kT
molecules in a solvent and this
mobility is due to the ingestion of
a unitary driving force. (the
concentration difference is the
driving force).
D AB
Where: — 6 7r
D Diffusivity of A in a sol. DilutionB
u 'B
K=cte.DeBoltzman
T=absolute temp.
r = radius of solute particle µ B =
viscosity of solvent
 Where:
= 3(B) Molecular volume function
It is the most common when the solute (A)
is diluted with respect to the solvent (B).

DAB LB 7.4 x 10 ■ ( 8
1/2 0,6
MB)
Vb
 Stokes-Einstein equation for a molecule
very large spherical (A) spreading in a
liquid solvent (B) of very small molecules

1.05 x 10
■9 T

Where:
D = diffusivity in (cm /s)
2
^ V b 1/3

T = Temperature, K
μ= solution viscosity(cP)
V = Molar volume of the solute at its normal boiling point
(cc/g-mol)
ZION MOL
SOLIDS
Unlike gases and liquids
where transport is carried out by a
combination of convention (fluid
mobilization) and diffusion.
In solids, movement is restricted
and the only mass transport
mechanism is diffusion . The
thermal vibrations that take place
allow some atoms to move
For the case of solids, the Equation
application corresponds to Fick's Law,
which is expressed as follows:

dc A —DA TO

Where
D A = diffusivity from A to solid Z =
thickness
d
= concentration gradient in the direction of diffusion

N A = diffusion rate of substance A

If D A is constant, the previous equation is integrated and we

have:

N.= D A c A c
—
A
TO 2

z
The structure of the solid and its
interaction with the diffusing substance
profoundly influence the way diffusion
occurs and the speed of transport. It is
necessary to consider the different types
of diffusion. Thus we have:
 Constituent diffusion
solids by atomic motion
 polymer
They constitute solids where many solutes, e.g. Gases
that are difficult to condense diffuse as a result of a
pressure difference.
• It is carried out from the highest to lowest P. This
form is called Activated since the polymer chains must
be in constant motion (minimum energy required for
the diffusion phenomenon to occur)
It also depends on temperature, establishing an
equation similar to that of Arrhenius that is explained
in chemical kinetics:
D A = D oe D /RT
-H
 uation of Arrh

D A = D oe -H

Where: D /RT
H D = activation energy
D o = Cte. Of proportionality
D A = diffusivity
■ There are different diffusion mechanisms
depending mainly on the crystalline structure
of the solid , so we can talk about interstitial
spaces, voids, pores, etc.
■ The same ones that are empty or vacant and
that are occupied by the phenomenon of
diffusion by some solute.
■ This is carried out by the difference in
concentration between the solid and the solute.