1

CENG 5760 Advanced Physico-Chemical Treatment Processes

Assignment 3
Solutions

Q1. Gas-permeation membrane for oxygenation
To determine the suitability of silicone rubber for its use as a membrane for a heart-lung machine
to oxygenate blood, an experimental value of the permeability at 30
o
C of oxygen was obtained
where P
M
= 6.50x10
-7
cm
3
O
2
(STP)/(s cm
2
cm Hg/mm).
(a) Predict the maximum flux of O
2
in kg mol/s m
2
with an O
2
pressure of 700 mm Hg on one
side of the membrane and an equivalent pressure in the blood film side of 50 mm Hg. The
membrane is 0.165 mm thick. Since the gas film is pure oxygen, the gas film resistance is
zero. Neglect the blood film resistance in this case.
(b) Assuming a maximum requirement for an adult of 300 cm
3
O
2
(STP) per minute, calculate
the membrane surface area required in m
2
.
Solution:
(a)

1 2
,,
1 2
,, 7 3 2
2
1
2
1 1 1
6.50 10 ( ) /( / )
700 ,
50 ,
0.165
A A
A
c c
m
m
A
A
P P
N
k k
P
RT RT
L
P cm O STP S cm cmHg mm
P mmHg
P mmHg
L mm

=
+ +
=
=
=
=

Since the gas film is pure oxygen, the gas film resistance is zero, neglect the blood film
resistance in this case.
,, 7
1 4 3 2 1 2
1 2 2
,,
6.5 10
( ) (700 50) 10 2.561 10 ( ) /
1
0.165
m A A
A A A
m
P P P
N P P cm O STP S cm
L
P
L

= = = =

4 4
3 7 2
3
2.561 10 10
10 1.1426 10 /
22.414 10
kgmol s m

= =

(b)

3 3
2 2
3
4 2 2 2
4 3 2
2
300 ( ) / min 5 ( ) /
5 ( ) /
1.9524 10 1.9524
2.561 10 ( ) /
A
A A m
A
m
A
q cm O STP cm O STP s
q N A
q cm STP O s
A cm m
N cm STP O cm s

= =
=
= = = =


2
Q2. Use of complete-mixing model for membrane design
A membrane having a thickness of 0.002 cm, a permeability P
A
= 4.0x10
-8
cm
3
O
2
(STP) cm/(s
cm
2
cm Hg), and an o
*
= 10 is to be used to separate a gas mixture of A and B. The feed flow
rate is q
f
= 2x10
3
cm
3
(STP)/s and its composition is x
f
= 0.413. The feed side pressure is 80 cm
Hg and the permeate side pressure is 20 cm Hg. The reject composition is to be x
0
= 0.30. Using
the complete-mixing model, calculate the permeate composition, the fraction of feed permeated,
and the membrane area.

Solution:

, 8 3 2
2
3 3
4.0 10 ( ) /( )
10
2 10 ( ) /
0.413
0.002
80
20
0.30
1 1 10 9
80 80
(1 ) 1 (1 0.3) 1 10 0.3 10 23.8
20 20
80
10 0.30
20
A
f
f
h
l
o
h h
o o
l l
h
o
l
P cm O STP cm s cm cmHg
q cm STP s
x
t cm
P mmHg
P cmHg
x
Q
P P
b x x
P P
P
c x
P
o
o
o o
o

-
-
- -
-
=
=
=
=
=
=
=
=
= = =
= + + = + + =
= =
2 2
3
, 8
12
23.8 23.8 4 ( 9)( 12) 4
0.6781
2 2 ( 9)
0.413 0.6781
0.3
1 1
0.2989
0.2989 2 10 0.6781
( / )( ) (4.0 10 / 0.002) (80 0.30 20 0.6781)
p
f p
o
f p
m
A h o l p
b b ac
y
a
x y
x
q y
A
P t P x Py
u
u
u u
u
u

=
+ +
= = =

= =

=

= =



6 2 2
1.942 10 194.2 cm m = =




3
Q3. Effect of permeabilities on minimum reject concentration
For the conditions of Q2, x
f
= 0.413, o
*
= 10, p
l
= 20 cm Hg, p
h
= 80 cm Hg, and x
0
= 0.30.
Calculate the minimum reject concentration for the following cases.
(a) Calculate x
0M
for the given conditions.
(b) Calculate the effect on x
0M
if the permeability of B increases so that o
*
decreases to 5.
(c) Calculate the limiting values of x
0M
when o
*
is lowered to its minimum value, zero, and
increased to its maximum, infinity. Make a plot of x
0M
versus o
*
for these four cases.
(a)

0.413
10
20
80
0.30
20
[1 ( 1) (1 )]
0.413 [1 (10 1) (1 0.413)]
80
0.15255
(1 ) 10 (1 0.413) 0.413
f
l
h
o
l
f f
h
oM
f f
x
P cmHg
P cmHg
x
P
x x
P
x
x x
o
o
o
-
-
-
=
=
=
=
=
+
+
= = =
+ +

(b)

5
20
0.413 [1 (5 1) (1 0.413)]
80
0.1958
5 (1 0.413) 0.413
oM
x
o
-
=
+
= =
+

From the calculated results above, we can get the following conclusion: If the permeability
of B increases (
*
decrease), the minimum reject concentration will increase.

(c) When
*
is lowered to its minimum value,
*
0

[1 (1 )]
20
1 (1 ) 1 (1 0.413) 0.85325
80
20
0.413 0.10325
80
l
f f
h l
oM f
f h
l
oM f
h
P
x x
P P
x x
x P
when
P
x x
P
o
-

= = = =

= = =

0
0.2
0.4
0.6
0.8
1
0 5 10 15 20
X
o
m