KMJ22503 MASS TRANSFER SEM2, 2024/2025
Tutorial Week 8
1) Using the definitions from Table 9-1 (Lecture notes), prove the following equations:
i. NA + NB = c vM
ii. jA = nA - wA (nA + nB)
2) In a steelmaking process using molten pig iron containing carbon, a spray of molten iron particles
containing 4.0 wt% carbon fall through a pure oxygen atmosphere. The carbon diffuses through the
molten iron to the surface of the drop, where it is assumed that it reacts instantly at the surface,
because of the high temperature, as follows by a first-order reaction:
Calculate the maximum drop size allowable so that the final drop after a 2.0s fall contains on an average
0.1 wt% carbon. Assume that the mass transfer rate of gases at the surface is very great, so there is no
outside resistance. Assume no internal circulation of the liquid. Hence, the decarburization rate is
controlled by the rate of diffusion of carbon to the surface of the droplet.
The diffusivity of carbon in iron is 7.5 x 10-9 m2/s.
3) Gas A diffuses from point 1 to a catalyst surface at point 2, where it reacts as follows: 2A → B. Gas B
diffuses back a distance δ to point 1.
i. Derive the equation for NA for a very fast reaction using mole fraction units xA1 and so on.
ii. For DAB = 0.2 X 10-4 m2/s, xA1 = 0.97, P = 101.32 kPa, δ = 1.30 mm, and T = 298 K, solve for NA.
iii. Do the same as part (i) but for a slow first order reaction where k'1 is the reaction velocity constant.
iv. Calculate NA and xA2 for part (iii) where k'1 = 0.53 x 10-2 m/s.
4) A mixture of Helium (He) & Argon (Ar) is diffusing at 1.013 x 105 Pa total pressure and 298 K through a
capillary having a radius of 100 Å. Given that the molecular weight of He & Ar is respectively 4 g/mol &
39.9 g/mol. The mean free path for helium in argon the given condition 2.10 × 10-7m.
i. Calculate the Knudsen diffusivity of He.
ii. Calculate the Knudsen diffusivity of Ar.
iii. Compare with the molecular diffusivity DAB. Explain your answer.
iv. Propose DKA or DAB should be used in this case. Explain your answer.
5) A mixture of He (A) and Ar (B) at 298 K is diffusing through an open capillary 15 mm long with a radius
of 1000 Å. The total pressure is 1.013 x 105 Pa. The molecular diffusivity DAB at 1.013 x 105 Pa is 7.29 x
10-5 m2/s.
i. Calculate the knudsen diffusivity of He (A).
ii. Predict the flux NA using Eqn. (7.6-18) and (7.6-12) if xA1 = 0.8 and xA2 = 0.2. Assume steady state.
iii. Predict the flux NA uisng the approximate Eqns. (7.6-14) and (7.6-16).
6) A mixture of O2 (A) and N2 (B) diffuses through the pores of a 2-mm-thick piece of unglazed porcelain
at a total pressure of 1 atm and a temperature of 293 K. The average pore diameter is 0.1mm, the
porosity is 30.5%, and the tortuosity is 4.39. The collision diameters for oxygen and nitrogen are 3.467
and 3.798 Å, respectively. Assume the diffusion inside the pores occurs mainly by Knudsen diffusion,
the diffusivity of O2 in unglazed porcelain is 0.147 cm2/s.
(i) Calculate the mean free path of O2 in the unglazed porcelain.
(ii) Estimate the diffusion fluxes of both components when the mole fractions of O2 are 80% and 20%
on either side of the porcelain.
bblee@unimap
KMJ22503 MASS TRANSFER SEM2, 2024/2025
SOLUTION
Q1 (i):
Q1 (ii):
Q2:
bblee@unimap
KMJ22503 MASS TRANSFER SEM2, 2024/2025
Q3:
bblee@unimap
KMJ22503 MASS TRANSFER SEM2, 2024/2025
Q4:
298
(i) Knudsen Diffusivity, 𝐷𝐾𝐴 = 97.0(100 𝑥 10−10 )√ 4
= 8.37 x 10-6 m2/s
298
(ii) Knudsen Diffusivity, 𝐷𝐾𝐵 = 97.0(100 𝑥 10−10 )√39.9
= 2.65 x 10-6 m2/s
(iii) Using Fuller et al., method,
ΣVA (Helium) = 2.88, ΣVB (Argon) = 16.1,
Molecular Diffusivity, DAB =
1.00 𝑥 10−7 𝑇1.75 (1⁄𝑀𝐴 + 1⁄𝑀𝐵 )1/2
𝐷𝐴𝐵 =
1 1 2
𝑃 [(∑ 𝑣𝐴 )3 + (∑ 𝑣𝐵 )3 ]
1.00 𝑥 10−7 (298)1.75 (1⁄(4) + 1⁄(39.9))1/2
𝐷𝐴𝐵 =
1 1 2
(1) [(2.88)3 + (16.1)3 ]
= 7.19 x 10-5 m2/s
(iv) The Knudsen number:
NKn = λ/(2r) = 2.10 × 10-7m / (2 x 100 x 10-10 m) = 10.5
Since NKn ≥ 10, the diffusion of He is primarily Knudsen diffusion, where it is completely independent of
Ar, since He collides with the walls of the pore and not with Ar.
Q5:
bblee@unimap
KMJ22503 MASS TRANSFER SEM2, 2024/2025
Q6:
bblee@unimap
KMJ22503 MASS TRANSFER SEM2, 2024/2025
bblee@unimap
