INTRODUCTION

Gaseous diffusivity or gas dispersion apparatus, which involves diffusion with

bulk flow, is one of the laboratory equipment that have been designed to allow
measurement of molecular diffusivities. From this model, it will make the students
become more familiar with the basic notions or concepts of mass transfer theory. This
apparatus is a bench mounted apparatus for the determination of diffusion coefficients of
a vapour in air, which uses the method of measuring the rate of evaporation of a liquid
through a stagnant layer into a flowing air stream, comprising a precision bore capillary
tube, which may be filled from a syringe and the top of which means are provided to pass
air (or an inert gas) stream to remove vapour. The apparatus also consist an air pump, a
travelling microscope with accurate focus adjustment and mounted for vertical axis
movement against a Vernier scale and a thermostatically controlled water bath, in which
to place the capillary tube, capable of accurate temperature control.

Figure 1: Gas Diffusion Apparatus

The experimental capabilities of this apparatus are direct measurement of mass

transfer rates in the absence convective effects. Gas laws was used to calculate
concentrations differences in terms of partial pressures while Ficks Law was used to
measure diffusion coefficients in the presence of a stationary gas, measurement of the
effect of temperature on diffusion coefficients and gaining familiarity with the use of
laboratory instruments to achieve accurate measurements of data required for industrial
process design.

The diffusivity of the vapour of a volatile liquid in air can be conveniently

determined by Winklemanns method in which liquid is contained in a narrow diameter
vertical tube, maintained at a constant temperature, and an air stream is passed over the
top of the tube to ensure the partial pressure of the vapour is transferred from the surface
of the liquid to the air stream by molecular diffusion. The molecular diffusivity, D, is a
kinetic parameter associated with static and dynamic conditions of a process. All the
complexity and unwieldiness of many calculations is, indeed, connected with the
determination of this quantity.