Mass Transfer at a Fluid-Fluid Interface:

Film Theory

In the previous
lectures,
diffusion and
mass transfer
within fluids
were
considered.

Of greater interest in separation

processes (absorption, distillation,
extraction) is mass transfer across an
interface between a gas and a liquid or
between two liquids.
Several theoretical models have been
developed to describe mass transfer
between a fluid and a fluid-fluid
interface where turbulence may persist.

Film Theory

Diffusion
within
fluids

Diffusion
between
fluids

Film theory

Molecular diffusion in stagnant fluids or fluids in laminar flow involves slow

rate of diffusion.

If more rapid transfer is required, the fluid velocity is increased until

turbulent mass transfer occurs.

To have a fluid in convective flow usually requires the fluid to be flowing

past another immiscible fluid (a pure gas A diffuses into non-volatile liquid
B) or a solid surface (e.g. a fluid flowing in a pipe).

In the turbulent region, particles in fluid no longer flow in the orderly

manner found in the laminar sub-layer.

Relatively, large portions of the fluid called eddies or chunks of fluid

moving rapidly in random fashion.

NOTE: Read pg. 53-54 of McCabe, Smith and Harriot for the profile of
fluid flow (laminar & turbulent) and their relationship with Reynolds
number, Re.

Film theory
Nernst proposed film theory in 1904
for turbulent mass transfer to or
from a fluid phase boundary.
The entire resistance to mass
transfer in a given turbulent phase
is in a thin, stagnant region of that
phase at the interface, called film.

The film is shown schematically in the above figure for the case of a gas-liquid
interface, where the gas is pure component A, which diffuses into nonvolatile
liquid B. A is absorbed into liquid B, without desorption of B into A.

Film theory
3 regions of mass transfer (MT) can be visualized:
Region

Position

Type of MT

Adjacent to the surface, Molecular diffusion, few or no eddies

a thin, viscous sublayer are present. Large concentration drop
film is present.
occurs across this film, slow rate of
diffusion.

Transition/buffer
region, adjacent to the
first region.

Some eddies are present, MT is the

sum of turbulent and molecular
diffusion.

Adjacent to the buffer

region (turbulent
region).

Most of the transfer is by turbulent

diffusion, with small amount by
molecular diffusion. The concentration
decrease is very small, eddies tend to
keep the fluid concentration uniform

Film Theory
The concentration drop from
cA1 adjacent to the surface is
very close to the surface and
then levels off. The average or
mixed concentration cA is
slightly greater than the
minimum cA2. The film theory
postulates that the
concentration will follow the
broken curve (Figure 3). The
entire concentration difference
(cA1 cA2) is attributed to
molecular diffusion within an
effective film thickness, zT.

Figure 3: Concentration profile in turbulent

MT from a surface to a fluid