Lecture 1- Introduction

Dr. Emad Alhseinat

CHEG324: Mass Transfer

 COURSE DESCRIPTION
Course Topics:
 Fundamentals of Diffusion - Diffusion in dilute and concentrated solutions: Fick’s law, Steady
diffusion, Convection, Free convection by diffusion, and Parallel diffusion and convection.
 Diffusion coefficients - Values of Diffusion Coefficients: Diffusion coefficients in gases, liquids,
and solids, Measurement of diffusion coefficients; Multicomponent Diffusion.
 Mass transfer - Fundamentals of Mass Transfer: Mass transfer coefficients, and correlations,
Mass transfer across interfaces, Overall mass transfer coefficient; Theories of Mass Transfer.
 Absorption - Basic Problems of Absorption, Absorption equipment, Design for vapor absorption
COURSE SYLLABUS
Course Textbook: Diffusion Mass Transfer in Fluid Systems by E. L. Cussler, Publisher:
Cambridge University Press, 3rd edition, 2009, ISBN: 9780521871211

Assessment Methodology
Tentative Dates Weight
Coursework: Quiz 1 Week 3 (03/02/2022) 6%
Quiz 2 Week 5 (17/02/2022) 6%
Quiz 3 Week 7 (03/03/2022) 6%
Quiz 4 Week 12 (07/04/2022) 6%
Quiz 5 Week 14 (21/04/2022) 6%
Project - - -
Semester Examination (s) Midterm Week 9 (17/03/2022) 30%
Final Examination Final Exam 40%
WHAT DO I EXPECT FROM YOU?
- Arrive on time for class
- Pay attention in class (do not use phones during the lectures)
- Ask questions whenever something is not clear to you
- Stick to the deadlines in your syllabus. The syllabus is our contract
- Help each other understand the course material
- Be courteous to each other and to me
- Provide me with feedback/suggestions on the course
WHAT DO YOU EXPECT FROM ME?
- Provide competent teaching
- Be committed to help you understand the course material
- Be available for out of class assistance
-Treat each question or concern seriously and answer these to the best of my
ability
- Treat each of you with courtesy and respect
WHAT IS MASS
TRANSFER?
Mass transfer is the net movement of
mass from one location to another.

Mass transfer due to

concentration differences Mass transfer of volatiles Mixing through mass
from coffee to nostrils transfer
 APPLICATIONS IN CHEMICAL ENGINEERING

Removal of H2S from natural gas

using absorption process Isolation of antibiotics using liquid
extraction process

Crude oil fractionation using

distillation process
 WHAT ACTUALLY HAPPENS INSIDE
• Components of a mixture are separated by transfer from one phase to another
Desorption (stripping)
process: solute is
transferred from the
liquid to the gas phase

Absorption process: Distillation process: separates a Liquid extraction process:

soluble vapor in a mixture liquid mixture of miscible and separation of constituents of a
of inert gases is absorbed volatile substances by partial liquid solution by contact with
in a liquid vaporization another insoluble liquid
 REVIEW OF SOME CONCEPT
 The mole fraction for liquid and solid mixture, x A ,and for gaseous mixtures, y A, are the molar
concentration of species A divided by the molar density of the mixtures.
CA
x A  (liquids and solids)
C

CA
y A 
C (gases)
The sum of the mole fractions, by definition must equal 1;
x i 1
i
y i 1
i
by similar way, mass fraction of A in mixture is;
A
wA 

 REVIEW OF SOME CONCEPT
• Average molecular weight

𝑀𝑎 𝑣 = ∑𝑛 𝑦𝑖 𝑀𝑖
• Mass concentration of species A “density” (𝜌𝐴): mass of A per unit volume of the
mixture
𝑛

• Total mass concentration (or density): total mass of the mixture in a unit volume 𝜌 = ∑ 𝜌𝑖
𝑖=1
𝜌𝐴
• Mass fraction of A 𝜔𝐴 =
𝜌
 REVIEW OF CONCEPT
•Molar concentration of A (𝐶𝐴): moles of A per unit volume of the mixture
𝜌𝐴
𝐶𝐴 =
𝑀𝐴

𝑀𝐴 is the molecular weight of species A

•Total molar concentration: total moles of the mixture in a unit volume
𝑛

𝐶 = ∑ 𝐶𝑖
𝑖=1

pA V
For ideal gas mixtures, n A  [ from Ideal gas law PV = nRT]
RT
nA p
C A   A
V RT

where pA is the partial pressure of species A in the mixture. V is the volume of gas, T is the absolute temperature, and
The total molar concentration or molar density of the mixture is given by
 REVIEW OF CONCEPT
Velocities
 In a multicomponent system the various species will normally move at different velocities;
and evaluation of velocity of mixture requires the averaging of the velocities of each species
present.

If  i is the velocity of species i with respect to stationary fixed coordinates, then mass-average velocity
for a multicomponent mixture defined in terms of mass concentration is,

  i i   i i
  i  i
  i 
i
 By similar way, molar-average velocity of the mixture  * is

C i V i
 *  i
C

 For most engineering problems, there will be title difference in  * and  and so the mass average
velocity, , will be used in all further discussions.

 The velocity of a particular species relative to the mass-average or molar average velocity is termed as
diffusion velocity

(i.e.) Diffusion velocity =  i - 

 Fluxes

 Flux is the amount of species that passes per unit time through a unit area normal to the flow direction
(vector)

• Mass flux of species i relative to fixed coordinates is:

• Total mass flux is:

• Molar flux of species i relative to fixed coordinates is:

• Total molar flux is:

 DIFFUSION FLUX
Mass flux of species i

ji is the mass diffusion flux of species i relative to the

mass-average velocity

Molar flux of species i

Ji is the molar diffusion flux of species i relative to the molar-average

velocity