Mass Transfer

Overview

Detailed Syllabus - Lectures:
Distillation (8 hours):
 Vapour-liquid equilibria.
 Flash distillation and cascades.
 Multicomponent distillation: Rachford-Rice equations and Newton’s iterative method.
 McCabe-Thiele method:
 Live steam injection.
 Multiple feeds.
 Side streams.
 Ponchon-Savarit method for binary distillation.

Solvent Extraction (4 2 hours):
 Liquid-liquid extraction introduction and applications.
 Examples of ternary systems and ternary phase diagrams.
 Totally and partially immiscible systems.
 Stagewise contact: Continuous countercurrent multistage extraction and cascade efficiencies.

Interphase and General Mass Transfer (2 hours):
 General introduction to turbulent mass transfer.
 Empirical equations for mass transfer.
 Two-film theory.
 Individual and overall mass transfer coefficients.

Gas Absorption (5 hours):
 Gas-liquid equilibria.
 Counter-current flow absorption.
 Minimum liquid-gas ratio for absorbers.
 Number of plates using absorption factor.
 Absorption columns: packed column and tray tower.
 Mass transfer with continuous contact: height equivalent to a theoretical plate, the transfer unit, determination of the number of transfer units, determination of the number of transfer units, height of a transfer unit.


Detailed Syllabus –Tutorials (7 Hours):
The students are provided with tutorial and worked examples of the above lecture material. Tutorial classes are an integral element of the module.

 1.Distillation (2 hours) - Dr A. Quddusi
 2.Solvent extraction (2 hours) - Dr A. Quddusi
 3.Interface and general mass transfer (1 hour) - Dr. N. Gui.
 4.Gas absorption (2 hours) - Dr. N. Gui.

Detailed Syllabus – Labs (5 Hours):
Students will be divided into groups. Each group will carry out experiments based on:

 1. Distillation column (2 hours)
 2. Liquid/liquid extraction (2 hours)
 3. Gas absorption column (1 hour)

Learning Objectives

On completion of this module the student should be able to:
 Understand in-depth advanced concepts of distillation such as multiple feeds, side streams, and live steam injection, and solve the distillation problem using the Ponchon-Savarit method for binary distillation (E)
 Apply the concept of mass transfer in extraction processes and design counter-current multistage extraction processes, and solve problems on general and interphase mass transfer (A)
 Understand the concept of gas absorption processes and design gas absorption column (E)

Skills

Learners are expected to demonstrate the following on completion of the module:

 Application of the concepts of mass transfer and design of operating units.
 Improved mathematical and problem-solving skills.
 An ability to use general computer packages for solving chemical engineering design
problems.

Assessment

Course Requirements:
 Lab attendance 80 %
 Post-lab assignment submission 80 %
 Examination mark veto 40%
 Laboratory mark veto 40 %
 Assignment veto 40%
 Module pass mark veto 40 %