INTERPHASE MASS TRANSFER

Lesson Plan :

 What is Interphase Mass Transfer ?

 Equilibrium, Raoult’s Law & Henry’s Law.
 Mass transfer between two phases and concentration profiles at the interface.
 Driving forces in the two phases and interfacial concentration.
 Necessity of overall mass transfer coefficient.
 Overall driving forces and overall mass transfer coefficients.

What and Why – Interphase Mass Transfer ?

Most practical mass transfer operations involve transfer of species from one phase to
the other. These two phases in contact are generally immiscible, we have seen that the rate of
diffusion within each phase is dependent upon the concentration gradient difference existing
within it.

At the same time the concentration driving force of the two phase system is indicative
of the departure from equilibrium between the two phases. When equilibrium is reached the
concentration driving force and the rate of mass transfer will become zero.

It is necessary to consider both the diffusional phenomena and the equilibria in order
to describe the various situations fully.

Equilibrium :

If component A is distributed between the two phases I and II, and they said to be in
equilibrium, then one may conclude that the rate of transfer of A from I to II is equal to the
rate of transfer of A from II to I. Hence there is no net transfer of A from any phase to the
other though there is a continuous transfer to and fro both the phases.

Raoult’s Law :

For an ideal gas – liquid or vapor – liquid systems having the following criteria,
equilibrium relationship obeys Raoult’s Law :
 the solute and the solvent molecules have similar sizes and similar intermolecular
forces.
the excess volume of mixing is zero.
The heat of mixing is zero when both the solute and solvent are liquids, when the
solute is a gas, the heat of mixing is equal to the heat of condensation.

The law is mathematically expressed as :

𝑝∗ = 𝑥 𝑃

pA* → equilibrium partial pressure exerted by the solute.

xA → mole fraction of the solute in the liquid phase.

PA → vapour pressure of the solute at that temperature.

Henry’s Law :

Equilibrium data for many non – ideal gas – liquid systems at low concentration can
expressed by Henry’s Law

pA* = H xA

H → Henry’s law constant is a strong function of temperature.

Two other forms are:

yA* = m xA and pA* = H' CA

Distribution :

For equilibrium distribution of a solute A in two essentially immiscible liquid phases,

L and L', following form is often valid :

𝐶 ∗, = 𝐾𝐶 ,

Distribution coefficient
INDIVIDUAL PHASE AND OVERALL MASS TRANSFER COEFFICIENT

 Mass transfer of solute A from one phase (say gas G) to another phase (say liquid L)
involves the following sequential steps.
(a) The solute (A) is transported from the bulk of gas phase to the gas – liq. interface.
(b) The solute (A) is picked up by the liquid phase (L) at the interface.
(c) The solute (A) is transported from the interface to the bulk of liquid.

Since xA and yA are f (z), lim 𝑦 = 𝑦 and lim 𝑥 = 𝑥

→ →

xAi and yAi are interfacial concentrations which are at equilibrium, 𝑦 = 𝜑(𝑥 )

The interfacial concentration can be determined algebraically or graphically.

If mass transfer occurs from a gas phase to a liquid phase at steady state, the mass flux
of the solute A from the bulk gas to the interface must be equal to that from the interface to
the bulk liquid. Hence,

𝑁 =𝑘 𝑦 −𝑦 =𝑘 𝑥 −𝑥

Assuming equilibrium at the interface,

𝑦 =𝜑 𝑥
 If the bulk concentrations and the mass transfer coefficients kx and ky are known,
then – the two above equations can be solved for 𝑥 and 𝑦

when equilibrium data are available in tabular for rather than in the functional form, then, the
geometric method is used.

(i) The equilibrium data are plotted.

(ii) =− is an equation of a straight line with a slope − and

connecting 𝑥 , 𝑦 and 𝑥 ,𝑦 .

Since 𝑥 and 𝑦 are in equilibrium, the point will be on the equilibrium curve.

Interface is a geometrical plane only and it is nearly impossible to measure interfacial

concentration experimentally. Hence the driving force has to be expressed in terms of bulk
concentration.

Let us define it as follows :

∗ ∗
𝑁 =𝐾 𝑦 −𝑦 =𝐾 𝑥 −𝑥

∗ ∗
Now, what is 𝑥 or 𝑦 ?
 ∗ ∗
𝑥 is the concentration that would be in equilibrium with 𝑦 and 𝑦 is the
concentration that would be in equilibrium with 𝑥 .

Figure - 32

𝑁 =𝐾 𝑦 −𝑦
∗
=𝐾 𝑥 −𝑥 =𝐾 𝑦 −𝑦

𝑦 −𝑦 = 𝑥 −𝑥 =

∗
𝑦 −𝑦 =

∗ ∗
𝑦 −𝑦 = 𝑦 −𝑦 + 𝑦 −𝑦

∗
= 𝑦 −𝑦 + ⋅ 𝑥 −𝑥

′
= +

𝟏 𝟏 𝒎′
= +
𝑲𝒚 𝒌𝒚 𝒌𝒙

∗ ∗
𝑥 −𝑥 = 𝑥 −𝑥 + 𝑥 −𝑥

∗
= + 𝑥 −𝑥
 = ″ ⋅ 𝑦 −𝑦 + 𝑥 −𝑥

= ″ +

𝟏 𝟏 𝟏
= +
𝑲𝒙 𝒎″ 𝒌 𝒚 𝒌𝒙

Resistances :- , and , ″

→ individual gas phase mass transfer resistance on gas phase basis.

′
→ individual liquid phase mass transfer resistance on gas phase basis.

→ individual liquid phase mass transfer resistance on liquid phase basis.

″ → individual gas phase mass transfer resistance on liquid phase basis.

→ over all mass transfer resistance on liquid phase basis.

→ over all mass transfer resistance on gas phase basis.

Fractional Resistance :

/ ′/

/
, /
- - - - - etc.

Case – I : If m' is very large ;

The fractional liquid phase resistance is high and the rate of mass transfer is
controlled by the liquid phase resistance. If a gas is sparingly soluble in a liquid then m' is
large and the mass transfer is liquid phase controlled.

′
= +

′
If m' is very large, =

If m' is small, = i.e. gas phase controlled.

What was m' ?
∗
𝑚′ =
∗
If m' is very large, 𝑦 −𝑦 is large.
If m' is very small, 𝑥 −𝑥 must be very large.

THE OPERATING LINES – MATERIAL BALANCE IN VAPOUR – LIQUID

CONTACTING EQUIPMENT

Component Balance – Overall

Concentrations are in mole ratio unit where, 𝑌 = ; 𝑋=

Flow rates are in solute free basis where, 𝐺 = ;𝐿 =

Input :- GS Y1 + LS X2 Output :- GS Y2 + LS X1

GS Y1 + LS X2 = GS Y2 + LS X1

GS (Y1 – Y2) = LS (X1 – X2) = – LS (X2 – X1)

– GS (Y2 – Y1) = – LS (X2 – X1)

Equation of a straight line passing through (X1, Y1) and (X2, Y2) with slope (LS / GS)
Envelope – Small

Input :- GS Y + LS X2 Output :- GS Y2 + LS X

GS Y + LS X2 = GS Y2 + LS X

GS (Y – Y2) = LS (X – X2)

( )
( )
=

From G → L Absorber.

In this figure, concentrations are in mole ratio unit. For any point M (X, Y) on the line PQ
joining (X1, Y1) and (X2, Y2) the gas side overall driving force is (Y – Y*) and the liquid side
overall driving force is (X* – X).

It is apparent from the diagram that (Y – Y*) is positive and (X – X*) is negative. Hence Y
will try to approach Y* whereas X will approach X*. Hence Y will decrease and X will
increase. So the mass transfer process is absorption of a component from gas phase to liquid
phase.
L G Stripper

But in this diagram, (Y – Y*) is negative whereas (X – X*) is positive. Driving force
(overall) in the liquid phase is positive. Hence X will decrease to X* whereas Y will
increase to Y*. Therefore the mass transfer process is stripping of a component from liquid to
gas phase.

So as a thumb rule, operating line above the equilibrium line is for absorber whereas
an operating line below the equilibrium line is for stripper. If the concentrations are in mole
fraction unit, the plot is as follows :

Since G and L are constantly changing, Gy + L2 x2 = G2 y2 + Lx is equation of a curve

rather than straight line.

𝐺𝑦 + 𝐿 𝑥 = 𝐺 𝑦 + 𝐿

This is not an equation of a straight line, but of a curve, since G and L are not constant.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vo8Pb45Sx6g

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tf2K5WINe5M