336

23.
24.
25.
26.
27.
28.
29.
30.
31.
32.
33.
34.
35.
36.
37.
38.
39.
40.
41.
42.
43.

MASS-TRANSFBR

OPERATIONS

Hulsworth, C. E.: Chem. Eng. Prog., 69(2), 50 (1973).

"International Critical Tables," vol. V, p. 213, McGraw-Hill Book Company, New York, 1929.
Ishii, Y., and F. D. Otto: Can. J. Chem: Eng . 51, 601 (1973).
Khurani, M. K.: private communication, Dec. 13, 1969.
King. M. B.: "Phase Equilibrium in Mixtures," Pergamon, london, 1969.
Kohl, A., and F. Riesenfeld: "Gas Purification," 2d ed., Gulf Publishing, Houston, 1974.
Koyashi, R., and D. L. Katz: Inti. Eng. Chem.; 45, 440, 446 (1953).
Kwauk, M.: AIChE J., 2, 240 (1956).
Liley, P. E., and W. R. Gambill, in R. H. Perry and C. H. Chilton (eds.), "The Chemical
Engineers' Handbook," Sth ed., sec. 3, McGraw-Hill Book Company, New York. 1973.
Othmer, D. F., et al.: Ind. Eng. Chem., 36, 858 (1944); 51, 89 (1959).
Owens, W. R., and R. N. Maddox: Ind. Eng. Chem., 60(12), 14 (1968).
Prausnitz, J. M.: "Molecular Thermodynamics of Fluid Phase Equilibria," Prentice-Hall. Englewood Cliffs, N.J., 1969.
Pray, H. A., C. C. Schweickert, and B. H. Minnich: Ind: Eng. Chem., 44, 1146 (1952).
Raal, J. D., and M. K. Khurani: Can. J. Chem. Eng., 51. 162 (1973); Process Techno', Int.,
18(6-7), 267 (1973).
Rackett, H. G.: Chem. Eng., 71, 108 (Dec. 2], 1964).
Sherwood. T. K., R. L. Pigford. and C. R. Wilke: "Mass Transfer," McGraw-Hill
Book
Company, New York, 1975.
Smith, B. D.: "Design of Equilibrium Stage Processes," McGraw-Hill Book Company, New
York, 1963.
Smith, J. M., and H. C. Van Ness: "Introduction to Chemical Engineering Thermodynamics,"
3d ed., McGraw-Hill Book Company, New York. 1975.
Treybal, R. E.: Ind: Eng. Chem., 61(7), 36 (1969).
Verma, S. L., and G. B. de Lancey: AIChE J., 21, 96 (1975).
Wankat, C. P.: Ind. Eng. Chem: Process Des, Dev., 11,302 (1972).

PROBLEMS
8.1 The equilibrium partial pressures of carbon dioxide over aqueous solutions of monoethanola-

mine (30 wt%.) [Mason and Dodge, Trans. AIChE, 32,27 (1936)1 are:
Partial pressure CO2, mmHg
mol CO2
mol solution
0.050
0.052
0.054
0.056
0.058
0.060
0.062
0.064
0.066
0.068
0.070

25C

so-c

-'75C

7.5

65
93.5

13.6
5.6
12.8
29.0
56.0
98.7
155
232

25.0
47.1
96.0
259

142.6
245
600

A plant manufacturing dry ice will bum coke in air to produce a flue gas which, when cleaned
and cooled, will contain 15% CO2, 6% O2, 79.00/0 N2 The gas will be blown into a sieve-tray-tower
scrubber at 1.2 std atm, 25C, to be scrubbed with a 30% ethanolamine solution entering at 25C.
The scrubbing liquid, which is recycled from a stripper, will contain 0.058 mol C02/mol solution.

GAS ABSORPTION

337

The gas leaving the scrubber is to contain 2% CO2, Assume isothermal operation.
(a) Determine the minimum liquid/gas ratio, mol/mol.
(b) Determine the number of kilograms of solution to enter the absorber per cubic meter of
entering gas, for an L/G ratio of 1.2 times the minimum.
ADs.: 18.66.
(c) Determine the number of theoretical trays for the conditions of part (b).
Am.: 2.5.
(d) The viscosity of the solution is 6.0 cP; sp gr "" 1.012. Estimate the average m and the overall
tray efficiency to be expected. How many real trays are required?
8.2 (0) Determine the ideal trays for the absorption of Prob. 8.1, assuming adiabatic operation. Use
25.6 kg absorbent solution/m3 gas in, which will be about 1.2 times the minimum. The heat of
solution of CO2 is 1675 kJ evolved/kg CO2 absorbed (720 Btu/Ib), referred to gaseous CO2 and
liquid solution. The specific heat of the solution is 3.433 kJ/(kg solution) . K (0.82 Btu/lb "F),
ADs.: 2.6.
(b) Suppose the absorber planned for isothermal operation (LI G and theoretical trays of Prob.
8.1) were operated adiabatically. What concentration of CO2 in the exit gas could-be expected?
[Note that this normally requires trial-and-error determination of both the top-traytemperature
and
effluent gas concentration. However, study of the calculations of part (a) should indicate that in this
case the top-tray temperature need not be determined by trial.]
ADs.: 4.59%.
83 Derive Eq. (8.16). Hint: Start with the definition of E~IGE and locate a pseudo-equilibrium line,
which would be used together with the operating line for graphically constructing steps representing
real trays. Then use the Kremser equation (S.SSa) with the pseudo-equilibrium line, by moving the
origin of the Y, X diagram to the intercept of the pseudo-equilibrium line with the Y axis.

8.4 Carbon disulfide, ~,

used as a solvent in a chemical plant, is evaporated from the product in a

drier into an inert gas (essentially N0 in order to avoid an explosion hazard. The vapor-Nj mixture
is to be scrubbed with an absorbent hydrocarbon oil, which will be subsequently steam-stripped to
recover the ~.
The ~-N2
mixture has a partial pressure of ~
equal to 50 mmHg at 24C
(75DF) and is to be blown into the absorber at essentially standard atmospheric pressure at the
expected rate of 0.40 ml/s (50 000 ftl/b). The vapor content of the gas is to be reduced to 0.5%. The
absorption oil has av mol wt 180, viscosity 2 CPt and sp gr 0.81 at 24C. The oil enters the absorber
essentially stripped of all ~, and solutions of oil and CSz while not actually ideal, follow Raoult's
law [see EwelJ et al.: Ind. Eng. Chem . 36, 871 (1944)]. The vapor pressure of cs,_ at 24C ... 346
mmHg. Assume isothermal operation.
(0) Determine the minimum liquid/gas ratio.
(b) For a liquid/gas ratio of 1.5 times the minimum, determine the kilograms of oil to enter the
absorber per hour.
(c) Determine the number of theoretical trays required, both graphically and analytically.
(d) For a conventional sieve-tray tower, estimate the overall tray efficiency to be expected and
the number of real trays required.
8.5 Design a suitable sieve tray for the absorber of Prob. 8.4 and compute its hydraulics (which may
be considered constant for aU the trays) and the number of real trays required., graphically and
through Eq. (8.16). Take the surface tension as 30 dyn/cm.
8.6 Determine the number of equilibrium trays for the absorber of Prob. 8.4, assuming adiabatic
operation. Use a liquid rate of 2.27 kg/so which is about 1.5 times the minimum. The specific heats
are:
kJ/kmol
362.2
76.2
46.89

Oil

C$z.liquid
~, vapor
The latent heat of vaporization of
ADs.: 3.6.

CSz

Btu/lb mol OF
86.5
18.2
11.2

is 27910 kJ/kmo) at 24C (12 000 Btu/tb mol).

338

MASS-TRANSFER

OPERATIONS

8.7 Starting with Eq. (8.34), replace the y's by the equivalent Y's and derive Eq. (8.36).
8.8 With the help of the Kremser equation and Eq. (8.50), derive the relation between Np and N,OG
for constant absorption factor. Establish the conditions when Nfl = NIOG'
8.9 Design a tower packed with 50-mm (2-in) ceramic Raschig rings for the carbon disulfide
scrubber of Prob. 8.4. Assume isothermal operation and use a liquid/gas ratio of 1.5 times the
minimum and a gas-pressure drop not exceeding 327 (N/m1)/m (0.4 inH20/ft) of packing. The
liquid surface tension== 30 dyn/cm. A procedure follows.
(0) Determine the tower diameter.
Am.: 0.725 m.
(b) Using average (top and bottom) flow rates and fluid properties, compute the mass-transfer
coefficients Faa and FLo and heights of transfer units HIG, HIL> and H,OG'
(c) Compute N'G and with HIG the packing height.
ADs,: 9.61.4.73 m.
(d) Compute NIOG through the following methods and the corresponding packing height for
each: Eq. (8.36), Eq. (8.48), and Fig. 8.20.
(e) Compare the gas-pressure drop for the full depth of packing with that for all the trays of
Prob. 8.5. At a power cost of IS cents per kilowatt-hour and a blower-motor efficiency of 50%,
calculate the annual (350-day) difference in power cost for the two towers.
8.10 For dilute mixtures and cases when Henry's

law applies, prove that the number

transfer units for cocurrent gas absorption in packed towers is given by
N,oG

ac

of overall

y, - tnX,
11n:.....:...--...:..
Y2 -

n1X2

where subscript I indicates the top (where gas and liquid enter) and subscript 2 indicates the bottom
of 'the tower.
8.11 Benzene vapor in a coke-oven gas is scrubbed from the gas with wash oil in a countercurrent
packed scrubber. The resulting benzene-wash-oil solution is then heated to 125C and stripped in a
tray tower, using steam as the stripping medium. The stripped wash oil is then cooled and recycled
to the absorber. Some data relative to the operation follow:
Absorption:
Benzene in entering gas -= 1 mol %
Pressure of absorber

800 mmHg

Oil circulation rate = 2 m3/1000 m3 gas at STP (15 U.S. gal/lOOO

Oil sp gr "" 0.88
Henry's-law constant
N'OG

et3)

mol wt = 260
m = Y for benzene-wash-oil
x

={

0.095

QI30

= 5 overall gas transfer units

Stripping:
Pressure ... I std atm

steam = 1 std atm, 125C

m = y. = 3.08 at 125C
x

Henry's-law constant for benzene

Number of equilibrium stages

III:

(0) In the winter, it is possible to cool the recycled stripped oil to 20e, at which temperature
the absorber then operates. Under these conditions 72.0 kg steam is used in the stripper per 1000 m3
gas at STP (4.5 Ib/ 1000 et3). Calculate the percent benzene recovery from the coke-oven gas in the
winter.
ADs.: 92.6%.

GAS ABSORPTION

339

(b) In the summer it is impossible to cool the recycled wash oil to lower than 27C with the
available cooling water. It has been suggested that the steam rate to the stripper can be increased so
as to obtain the same percentage benzene recovery as in the winter. Assuming that the absorber then
operates at 27C, with the same oil rate, and that N'OG and equilibrium stages remain the same,
what steam rate in the summer would be required?
(c) If the oil rate cannot be increased but the steam rate in the summer is increased by 20%
over the winter value, what summer recovery of benzene can be expected?
ADs.: 86.2%.
8.12 It is desired to reduce the ammonia content of 0.0472 mJ Is (26.7"C, 1 std atm) (6000 ft3/h) of

an ammonia-air mixture from 5.0 to 0.04% by volume by water scrubbing. There is available a
0.305-m (l-ftj-diameter tower packed with 25-rnm Berl saddles to a depth of 3.66 m (12 ft). Is the
tower satisfactory, and if so, what water rate should be used? At 26.7C, ammonia-water solutions
follow Henry's law up to 5 mol% ammonia in the liquid, and m = 1.414.
8.13 A tower, 0.6 m diameter. packed with 50-mm ceramic Raschig rings to a depth of 1.2 m, is to
be used for producing a solution of oxygen in water for certain pollution-control operations. The
packed space will be pressurized at S std atm abs with pure oxygen gas from a gas cylinder. There is
to be no gas outlet, and gas will enter from the cylinder only to maintain pressure as oxygen is
dissolved. Water will flow down the packing continuously at 1.50 kg/so The temperature is to be
2SoC. Assuming that the entering water is oxygen-free, what concentration of oxygen can be
expected in the water effluent?
ADs.: 1.108 X 10-4 mole fraction.
DOlO: at 2SoC, the diffusivity of 02 in water = 2.S x 10-5 cm2/s, viscosity of water = 0.894
cP, and the solubility of O2 in H20 follows Henry's law; p = 4.38 x 1O"x, where p = equilibrium
partial pressure, atm, and x = mole fraction O2 in the liquid. Neglect water-vapor content of the gas.
8.14 A system for recovering methanol from a solid product wet with methanol involves evaporation
of the methanol into a stream of inert gas, essentially nitrogen. In order to recover the methanol
from the nitrogen, an absorption scheme involving washing the gas countercurrently with water in a
packed tower is being considered. The resulting methanol-water solution is then to be distilled to
recover the methanol. Note: An alternative scheme is to wash the gas with refrigerated methanol.
whence no distillation is required (see Prob. 7.11). A still different approach is to adsorb the
methanol onto activated carbon (see Chap. II).
The absorption tower will be filled with 38-mm (I.S-in) ceramic Raschig rings. Use a gas-pressure drop not to exceed 400 N/m2 per meter of packed depth. Tower shells are available in
25-mm-diameter increments.
Partial pressures of methanol and water over aqueous solutions of methanol are available in
'The Chemical Engineers' Handbook," 5th ed., p. 3-68. Plot these in the manner of Fig. 8.2, using
water as reference substance.
(a) Assume isothermal operation at 26.7C (80F). Gas in: 0.70 mJ Is (90 000 ftJIh) at I std
atm, 26.7"C; partial pressure methanol - 100 mmHg. SeG - 0.783 (MeOH-N0. Gas out: methanol
partial pressure == IS mmHg. Liquid in: water, methanol-free, 26.7cC. O.IS kg/s (1190 lb/h); neglect
evaporation of water. Calculate the depth of packing required.
(b) Assume adiabatic operation. Gas in: 0.70 m3/s at I std atm, 26.7C, partial pressure
methanol - 100 mmHg, partial pressure water ... 21.4 mmHg. Gas out: methanol partial pressure ,..,
15 mmHg. Liquid in: water, methanol-free, 26.7"C, 1.14 kg/s (9000 Ib/h). Assume that the gas
leaves at fG - 30"C, with PH10 = 26 mmHg. Do not neglect evaporation of water. Calculate the
following for the bottom of the tower: fL' Ii' diGI dZ, dY A/ dZ, dY cl dZ. For A Y A = - 0.02,
compute the next value of Z, Y A' Ys IG' and fL'
Additional data: heat of solution ["International Critical Tables," vol. IV. p. 159]:
A' mole fraction
MeOH in liquid

liBs integral heat of solution,

kJ Ikmol soln at 20GC

0.5

0.10

O.IS

0.20

0.25

0.30

-341.7

-597.8

-767.6

-872.3

-914.1

-916.4

Use a base temperature ts= 20C. The latent heat of vaporization of methanol at 200e
1163
kl /kg. Heat capacities of liquid solutions: see "Chemical Engineers' Handbook," 5th ed . p. 3~I36.
Molar heat capacities of gases: N2, 29.141: MeOH, 52.337; H20, 33.579 kJ/kmol . K.
at

8.15 A gas containing 88% CH4, 4% C2H6, 5% n-ClH., and 3% n-C-4HIO is to be scrubbed
isothermally at 37.8C (100F), 5 std atm pressure, in a tower containing the equivalent of eight
equilibrium trays, 80% of the C:lHa is to be removed. The lean oil will contain 0.5 mol% of C.H,o but
none of the other gaseous constituents. The rest of the oil is nonvolatile. What quantity of lean oil,
mol/mol wet gas, should be used, and what will be the composition of rich oil and scrubbed gas?
The Henry's-law constants mare

6.7

32

0.74

2.4

8.16 An absorber of four theoretical trays, to operate adiabatically at 1.034 kN/m2 (150 Ib,jin2),
fed with 1 mol per unit time each of liquid and gas, each entering at 32.2C (90F), as follows:
Liquid,
mole fraction

Component
CH-4

C2H6
nC)Hs
nC-4HIO
n-CSHI2
Nonvolatile

0.02

om
oil

is

Gas,
mole fraction
0.70
0.12
0.08
0.06
0.04

0.97

Estimate the composition and rate (mol/time) of the exit gas.

Data: Henry's-law constants, enthalpies at 32.2C relative to saturated
( - 200 F). and molar heat capacities are given in Table S.l.

liquid at -129C

Table 8.1 Data for Prob. 8.16

32.2C (90F)
HG,t
kJ/kmol

Cp

HL

10-)

kJ /kmol X lO-l

37.8C

43C

kl/kmot
K
(Btu/lb mol oF)

Component

(Btu/lb mol)

(Btu/lb mol)

(lOOOF) (110F)

Gas

Liquid

CH",

16.5

12.91
(5510)
22.56
(9700)
31.05
(133S0)
41.05
(17650)
50.94
(21 4(0)

9.77
(4200)
15.58
(6700)
16.86
(7250)
20.70
(8900)
24.66
(10 600)

17.0

17.8

37.7
(9.0)

3.80

4.03

62.8

1.30

1.44

0.41

0.47

0.140

0.165

50.2
(12.01)
83.7
(20.0)
129.8
(31.0)
159.1
(38.0)
184.2
(44.0)
376.8
(90.0)

C2H6

3.40

n-elHs

1.16

n-C"HIO

0.35

n-CSH'l

0.123

Oil

(I5.0)
79.6
(19.0)
96.3
(23.0)
117.2
(28.0)

t Data from DePriester, Chem: Eng. Progr. Symp. Ser.; 49(7) 1 (1953); "Chemical Engineers'
Handbook," 5th ed., pp, 13-12 and 13-13; Maxwell, "Data Book on Hydrocarbons," Van Nostrand,
Princeton, NJ., 1950.

GAS ABSORPTION

341

8.17 In this chapter it was shown that there is an optimum, or most economical, value of the
absorption factor. There are also optimum values for:
(0) Outlet gas concentration when there are valuable solutes
(b) The solute concentration in the liquid entering the absorber where the absorbent liquid is
recirculated through a stripper or fractionator for solute recovery
(c) The tray spacing in a tray tower
(d) The gas pressure drop per unit height in a packed tower
For each item explain why there is an optimum value.