University of Engineering and

Technology Lahore
SEPARATION PROCESSES
ChE-306
Instructor: Aamir Abbas

Gas Absorption
Outlines

❖Absorption (Introduction)

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INTRODUCTION AND AN INDUSTRIAL
EXAMPLE
Absorption (Introduction)
❖Absorption uses a liquid to
❑Selectively remove components from a gas mixture;

❑Remove impurities, contaminants, pollutants, or catalyst poisons; and

❑Recover valuable chemicals

❖The species of interest in the gas mixture may include

❑All components present in the gas,

❑Only the component(s) not absorbed, or

❑Only the component(s) absorbed

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Absorption (Some terminologies)
❖The liquid (solvent) used for absorption is called absorbent.

❖The species transferred to the liquid (absorbent) are called

solutes.

❖When the solutes have been absorbed, they are called

absorbates.

❖In stripping (desorption), a liquid mixture is brought into contact

with a gas that selectively removes components by mass transfer
from the liquid to the gas phase.
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Absorption (Some terminologies)

Absorbent free of absorbate is called lean absorbent.

Absorbent loaded with absorbate is called rich or loaded absorbent. 6
 Absorption (Example)
It comes from a dryer in which water
and acetone are evaporated from solid
cellulose acetate fibers.

Absorber is designed to remove 99.5%

of the acetone from the feed gas

Scrubbed gas exiting the absorber

contains only 143 parts per million
(ppm) by weight of acetone.
Calculate it…
Major absorption
Water present as vapor in the feed gas and of acetone
as liquid in the entering absorbent is alongwith some
absorbed and stripped, respectively. N2 and O2
Overall water stripping is taking place.
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How?
 Absorption (Example)
Amount of each component absorbed
depends on
❑ The number of equilibrium stages and
❑ The component’s absorption factor
K-values for many solutes
Ai = L / Ki V vary exponentially with T
K value is determined from and inversely to P
❑ Modified Raoult’s law for liquids e.g.
acetone here
❑ Henry’s law for gases e.g. N2 and O2 gases

Difference between ideal and non-ideal solution?

Difference between Raoult’s and modified Raoults law?
Henry’s law and Henry’s constant?
How to find k values using these laws?
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From an economic prospect, the value of A for the key species should be in the range of 1.25 to 2.0.
Absorption (Commercial applications)

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Absorption (Some terminologies)
❖Physical absorption: When no significant chemical reactions
occur between the absorbent and the solute, the process is
referred to as physical absorption. E.g. use of water or
hydrocarbon oils as absorbents dies not cause any reaction
usually.

❖Chemical absorption: When absorption is accompanied by a

rapid and irreversible reaction in the liquid. This is chemical
absorption or reactive absorption. E.g. use of NaOH for removing
acidic gases. 10
Absorption (Some terminologies)
❖Example: Removal of H2S and CO2 from natural gas using
monoethanolamine (MEA) and diethanolamine (DEA) causes
reversible reaction.

❖Chemical reactions can increase the rate of absorption and

solvent-absorption capacity and convert a hazardous chemical
to an inert compound.

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EQUIPMENT FOR VAPOR–LIQUID SEPARATIONS
 Equipment for vapor–liquid separations
❖Methods for designing and analyzing absorption,
stripping, and distillation depend on the type of equipment
used for contacting vapor and liquid phases.

❖The most common devices are cylindrical, vertical columns

containing trays or packing.

❖Spray towers, bubble columns, and centrifugal contactors

are less commonly used equipment.

❖Discuss in detail the tray and packed columns

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Trayed Towers/Columns
❖A trayed tower is a vertical, cylindrical pressure vessel in
which vapor and liquid, flowing counter-currently, are
contacted on trays (plates) that provide intimate contact
of liquid with vapor in a froth to promote rapid mass
transfer.

❖Phase disengagement occurs above the froth and below

the tray above.

❖Liquid flows across each tray, over an outlet weir, and into
a downcomer, which takes the liquid by gravity to the tray
below.

Gas flows upward through openings in each tray, bubbling

through the liquid on the tray to produce a froth. 14
Summary/Conclusion
❖Introduction to absorption

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