SEPARATION PROCESS I
Lecture 4
Gas Absorption
Last Updated:Monday, March 15, 2021
Learning objectives and outcome
To highlight the different methods of solving multiple stage
absorption/stripping.
At the end of the lesson, students should be able to solve multiple
stage absorption cases using both graphical and analytical
methods.
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Absorption - General
As any separation processes, it is about reaching an equilibrium
between the components in two or more phases.
Absorption is dealing with a gas phase and a liquid phase.
Depending on direction of mass transfer we refer to it as Gas
Absorption or Stripping.
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Gas Absorption
Definition:
Separation process where a gas mixture is contacted with a
liquid phase with the aim to remove one or more solutes from
the gas into the liquid phase.
Examples:
•Removal of Ammonia from air by water.
•Removal of SO from flue gas by amine solution.
2
•Hydrogenation of oils.
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Stripping (Desorption)
Definition:
The reverse of Absorption is Stripping where solutes go from
liquid to gas.
The same theories and equations apply.
Examples:
• Removal of volatile products from oils by steam.
• Humidification.
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Absorption and stripping
Absorption Stripping
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Absorption and Stripping
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Absorption
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Stripping
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Absorption equipment
Absorption operations:
• Trayed columns (plate columns) Commonly used
• Packed towers
• Spray towers
• Bubble columns Not common, but
is used
• Centrifugal contractors
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Trayed column
Cylindrical column fitted
with trays to make the
gas phase and the
liquid phase flow
counter currently.
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Tray design
Sieve tray (Perforation)
Valve tray
Bubble cap tray
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Trayed column
• Can be easily scaled to fit requirements.
•The liquid/vapour (L/V) ratio has to be watched to make sure
good contact and hence efficient mass transfer is achieved.
Otherwise, flooding, weeping, spraying, etc. might occur.
•When achieved, equilibrium between gas and liquid may be
achieved.
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Packed towers
Cylindrical column filled
with on or more sections
of packing material,
possibly with different
packing materials.
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Packing material
Random packing material: Structured packing material:
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Packed column usage
• Used when less than 60 cm in diameter and 6 m in
height is enough.
• Low pressure drop over column.
• Corrosive fluids.
• Low liquid hold up.
• Foaming problems.
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Single stage (equilibrium)
Counter current steady state process Mole ratio
𝑋 = 𝑥𝑜
𝑜
1 − 𝑥𝑜
= 𝑦𝑜
𝑌 𝑜
1 − 𝑦𝑜
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Mass balance
•Assume
steady state operation hence and do MBs:
Total:
Component A:
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Solute free solvent flow
• We desire a mass transfer of solute, if we have
miscible solvent they will also transfer between
phases.
• Hence all variables of the outlets may be unknown.
• To simplify calculations (reduce degrees of freedom)
we study the inert material in the streams.
• V, L – solute + solvent
• V’, L’ – inert solvent only
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L’ and V’
•For
totally immiscible solvent phases, the pure solvent rates are
constant.
L’ pure solvent flow rate,
V’ pure solvent flow rate,
Substitute back to MB:
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General steps to solve absorption
•1. Calculate inert flowrate and .
2. Perform component material balance.
3. Apply Henry’s law to relate the and .
4. Solve for and .
5. Substitute and into the inert equation to find flowrate.
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Example 1
A gas mixture at 1.0 atm(abs) pressure containing air and CO2 is
contacted in a simple mixer continuously with pure water at 293
K. The exit streams reach equilibrium. The inlet gas stream is
100 mol / h, containing 20 mol% CO2. The liquid flow rate is
300 mol/h Calculate the amounts and compositions of the 2
outlet phases. Assume that the water doesn’t vaporize into the
gas stream.
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Example
=300 mol/h
=100 mol/h
= 0.2
= 0.8
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References
C. J. Geankoplis, Transport Processes and Separation Process
Principles, 4th Ed., Prentice Hall 2003. Sections 10.1,10.2
W. L. McCabe, J. C. Smith and P. Harriott: Unit Operations of
Chemical Engineering, 7th Ed., McGraw Hill, 2004.
Chapter 18
Seader and Henley, Separation Process Principles, 2nd Ed.,
Wiley, 2006.
Sections 6.1,6.2
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