CHE545 MASS TRANSFER ASSIGNMENT 1

FARAH AIDA BINTI MD AZMAN

2019452304

1. Introduction to Mass Transfer video link

Definition: Mass transfer is the net movement of mass from one location, usually meaning stream,
phase, fraction or component, to another. Mass transfer occurs in many processes, such as
absorption, evaporation, drying, precipitation, membrane filtration, and distillation.

Mass transfer is used by different scientific disciplines for different processes and mechanisms.

The phrases commonly used in engineering for physical processes that involve diffusive and
convective transport of chemical species within physical system.

Examples: evaporation of water from pond to atmosphere, distillation of alcohol and purification of
blood kidneys and liver. In industrial processes, mass transfer operations include separation of
chemical components in distillation columns, absorbers such as scrubbers or stripping and liquid-
liquid extraction.

2. Mass Transfer and Process Examples video

It is easier to mix A and B rather separate A+B mixture. Important thing about distillation is
complexed that in reality it is complicated, so we need to understand the principles.
3. Fick’s First Law of Diffusion

Definition: A high concentration of something will go to a low concentration.

Fick's first law of diffusion is given by the following equation:

where

J is the flux and is defined by the number or particles that are moving past a given region divided by
the area of that region multiplied by the time interval.

The units of J are mol m-2 s-1.

The letter D represents the diffusion coefficient with units m2 s and

c is the concentration of the gradient with units molecules m-3.

Equation 1 indicates that if the flux and the change in the concentration over time are known, then
the diffusion coefficient can be calculated. The negative sign indicates that the concentration
gradient is negative. The first law can only be applied to systems in which the conditions remain the
same— in other words, if the flux coming into the system equals the flux going out. Fick’s second law
is more applicable to physical science and other systems that are changing. This second law is
applied to systems in which the condition are not steady, or the solution in not equal throughout.
4. Convection vs Diffusion video

Divided into two different levels:

A. Convention

When an entire package of air or liquid moves from one place to another.

B. Diffusion

Molecular levels describing how molecules interact with each other which are called Brownian
motion (random movements).