CME 301 – Mass Transfer

Differential MT Equations for Unsteady-

State Molecular Diffusion (USS-MD)

Dr. Chandra Mouli M.R.

Chemical Engineering Department

College of Engineering

Abu Dhabi University

1. USS-MD into a semi-infinite medium

 Consider that a slab has an

“infinite sink” for A. sink for A
z
 This is valid for:
NA
 Low diffusion rates
0
 Short times
 Thick slab (long diffusion path)

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 Assumptions:

1. In solids & liquids, bulk flow = 0  cA.V = 0

2. Dilute A  UMD approaches EMCD (same
as point 1)
3. No Reaction (RA = 0)
4. Constant T and PT  cT = constant
5. Binary Mixture

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 Model:
∂c A
−∇N A + RA =
∂t ∂ 2 c A ∂c A
DAB =
∂c A ∂z 2
∂t
NA =− DAB + c AV
∂z

 IC:
cA(z,0) = cA0 @ t = 0 & all z
 BCs:
cA(0,t) = cAs @ z = 0 & all t
cA(∞,t) = cA0 @ z = ∞ & all t 4
 Solution:

c As − c A  z 
=
erf   erf (φ )
c As − c A 0 2 D t 
  AB 
  NOTE:
Er r or Funct ion
erf(0) = 0
erf(∞) = 1
cA − cA 0
1 − erf (φ ) =
= erfc (φ )
c As − c A 0  
Compl ement ar y
Er r or Funct ion

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 Flux at z = 0:

∂c A
NA = −D AB
z =0
∂z z =0

 − [c As − c A 0 ] 
= −D AB  
 πD t 
 AB 
D AB
= [c As − c A 0 ]
πt
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 2. USS-MD in a Medium with Finite
Dimensions and Simple Geometry

Slab with uniform boundary and initial conditions

Assumptions:
1. In solids & liquids, bulk flow = 0  cAs NA NA cAs
cA.V = 0
2. Dilute A  UMD approaches EMCD
L/2 L/2
(same as point 1)
3. No Reaction (RA = 0)
z=0 z=L
4. Constant T and PT  cT = constant
5. Binary Mixture
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 Solution

∂c A
−∇N A + RA =
∂t ∂ 2 c A ∂c A
DAB =
∂c A ∂z 2
∂t
NA =− DAB + c AV
∂z
IC: cA(z,0) = cA0
BCs:
cA(0,t) = cAs
cA(L,t) = cAs
∂cA(L/2,t)/∂z = 0
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 Concentration profile of A, i.e., cA(z, t):
c A − c As 4 ∞ 1  z  2 2 DAB t 
Y == ∑ sin  nπ  exp  −n π
c A0 − c As π n =1 n  L  L2 
 n=
1,3,

Terms in summation decay to zero rapidly; you

usually need to calculate the first 4 to 10 terms
Flux of A, i.e., NA(z, t):
∂c A 4 DAB ∞
 z  2 2 DAB t 
NA =
− DAB = ( As A0 ) ∑ 
c − c cos nπ  exp  −n π 2 
n=
1,3,
∂z L n =1  L   L 

∂c A 4 DAB ∞
nπ  2 2 DAB t 
NA L =
− DAB = ( cAs − cA0 ) ∑ cos  
 exp  −n π 2 
=0
z=
2 ∂z L n =1  2   L 

∂c A 4 DAB ∞
 2 2 DABt 
N A ( 0, t ) =
− DAB =− ( cAs cA0 ) ∑ exp  −n π 2 ; n=
1,3,
∂z z = 0 L n =1  L 
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 Typical Concentration Profiles for
slab with Finite Boundaries

Sink System Source System

NA NA
cAs cA0
t

t
cA0 cAs

z=0 z = L/2 z=0 z = L/2

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Time-Concentration Charts
(Appendix F) for USS-MD

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 Using Time-Concentration Charts:

1. Find the characteristic length for symmetry

(x1 = position from symmetry axis to
surface)
Relative
2. Define Y = (cA1 – cA)/(cA1 – cA0) concentration
3. Define X = DAB.t / x12 Relative time

Relative
4. Define n = x/x1 position

5. Define m = DAB/kc x1 Relative

Resistance

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How to measure x1 and x?
Slab Cylinder (radial Sphere (radial
symmetry) symmetry)
cAs
x = x1 x1 = R
x
x1 = L/2 x1 = R
L
x=0 cAs
x1 = L/2 x=r cAs
x = x1 x=r
cAs

cAs
x = x1
x
x1 = L L
x=0 13
 What is the relative resistance (m)?
DAB 1 kc x1 convective mass transfer resistance
=
m = =
kc x1 1 DAB molecular mass transfer resistance

 If m = 0  cAs = cAb (surface concentration equals

the bulk concentration, no convective mass
transfer resistance)

 What is the relative position (n = x/x1)?

 If x = x1  n = 1 (surface)  cAs
 If x = 0  n = 0 (line of symmetry)  ∂cA/ ∂z = 0
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 m=∞
Figures F.1 to F3

m=6
Log scale! Y

m=2
m=1
m=0, m=0
n=1

X
Variable n
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Figures F.4 to F.9 can also be used by changing α by
DAB and (T-T∞)/ (T0-T∞) by Y

m = 100
(T-T∞)/ (T0-T∞)

m=0

n=0

α ⋅t x
2
1 19
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 What if you have an object with more than
one symmetry plane?

Solution:
Solve for each symmetry alone, then:
Yoverall = Ysym1 Ysym2 Ysym3
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