ABSORPTION / STRIPPING

ALVIN R. CAPARANGA, PH.D.

SCHOOL OF CHEMICAL ENGINEERING AND
CHEMISTRY
MAPUA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY

Absorption
Contacting phases: GAS and LIQUID
Solute A or several solutes are absorbed from the gas

phase into a liquid phase.

with or without chemical reaction

Mechanism: molecular and turbulent diffusion of A

through a stagnant non-diffusing gas B into a

stagnant liquid C.

ABSORPTION is a unit operation where

concentrations of some components in the

gas phase are reduced by absorbing them to
the liquid phase.
ABSORPTION is an operation where
mass transfer occurs between gas and
liquid phase.

Examples:
removal of a noxious component from the gas phase
removal of CO2 from flue gas or other waste gas steams
removal of H2S from natural gas
manufacture of sulfuric acid: absorption of SO3 in water
or dil. H2SO4 or oleum
manufacture of ammonia (absorption of NH3 in water)

 Desorption or Stripping

Reverse of absorption (i.e., mass transfer: L G)

(Same) theories and principles of absorption apply

Example:

Stripping of volatile components of nonvolatile oils using steam

Gas-Liquid Equilibrium
Partial pressure of A in gas versus mole fraction of A

in liquid (pA vs xA)

Appendix A.3 (Geankoplis)

Henrys law:
Other forms:

pA = HxA

yA = HxA
H = H/P
pA = HcA
Note: unit of constant depends on the form used

Material Balance

Total balance:

Component balance:

Stage-Stage Equilibrium Contact

Equilibrium:

yA1 = HxA1

For example:
Liquid: aqueous solution (water + A)
Gas: (air + A)
Water does not evaporate.
Air does not dissolve in water.

moles inert in water (i.e., water)

moles inert in air (i.e., air)

L and V are constant and known.

Data:

H = 0.142 x 104 atm/mol frac

(Appendix A.3)

Countercurrent Multiple-Contact Stages

OPERATING LINE

Countercurrent Multiple-Contact Stages

(Analytical Solution)
Applies when:
A) Operating line is straight (i.e., L and V are constant).
B) Equilibrium line is a straight over the concentration range.
C) Countercurrent flow

y N 1
xn1 Axn
AxN
m
A absorption factor

A = L /mV

Kremser Equations for STRIPPING

Kremser Equations for ABSORPTION

15

16

DESIGN OF PACKED
COLUMNS
FOR
GAS-LIQUID SEPARATION

18

In order to transfer a component between two

phases, the following conditions must be met:

The phases must be in contact.

The phases must not be in equilibrium state.

PLATE AND PACKED COLUMN

19

A packed column is usually favorable when

only a small pressure drop is allowed in the column;

the components are corrosive;
the diameter of the column is small ( < 1 m);
liquid hold-up must be small;
liquid foams.

 A plate column is usually favorable when

liquid flows are too large or too small; then the hold-up can be
adjusted with the structure of plates
liquid flows vary a lot
a big hold-up is required to lengthen the contact time (for example,
in reactive distillation)
the designed column is very high (for effective separation); then
packed columns are unfavorable due to channeling and heavy
weight of packing
cooling coils are needed inside the column
the column has to be cleaned from time to time due to solids in the
process fluids

20

CHARACTERISTICS OF TOWER PACKING

MATERIALS
21

Large wetted surface (for phase contacting) per unit volume

of packed space
Large void volume to allow reasonable throughput of
phases without excessive -P
Good wetting characteristics
Low bulk density (to avoid serious support problems)
Relatively inexpensive

RANDOM PACKING

a Raschig ring; b Berl saddle; c Pall ring

(m); d Pall ring (p); e Intalox saddle (c); f
Super Intalox saddle (p).

STRUCTURED PACKING

A small element of MellapakTM

23

COMMON (Random) PACKING SHAPES

(See Fig. 16.2 Foust et al. / Fig. 14-45a Perrys.)
24

RASCHIG RINGS

Low cost but may not be as efficient as newer packing materials

Wall thickness: decrease in wall thickness results to
decrease in mechanical strength and pressure drop
increase in lower free space and surface area.
diameter = height
Porcelain, clays, carbon, or metals

INTALOX SADDLES

Give greater degree of randomness than Raschig rings

High initial cost

BERL SADDLES

High degree of randomness, relatively large surface area per unit

volume

PALL RINGS

With stamped and inward-bent sections to give better circulation

of contacting phases

 Physical characteristics of dry commercial

packing

Table 16.1
Table 14-13
Table 6.8

Foust et al.
Perrys CHE Handbook (8th ed.)
Seader and Henley (1st ed.)

Characteristics specified;
% void
Specific surface
Packing factor (FP)
Dumped weight
Etc.

25

Source: Perrys ChE HB (8th ed.) pp 14-60 to 14-61

26

27

CHANNELING
28

the tendency of the downflowing liquid to select

preferred paths (or channels) for its flow down the

packing
The fluid tends to move toward the region of greatest
void space, which is the region near the wall.
a principal contribution toward poor performance
in packed columns

PRINCIPLE OF GAS ABSORPTION

Total balance:
Va

La

ya

xa

La + V = L + Va
Component balance:
Laxa + Vy = Lx + Vaya

L,x

Equation of operating line:

Va y a La x a
L
y x
V
V

V,y

Vb
yb

Lb
xb

Ratio of molal flows of liquid and

gas
29

Operating line

Operating line

(L/V)min
yb

Equilibrium curve

ya

xa

xb

30

Rate of absorption:

r k y a y y i
r k x a x i x
r K y a y y *
r K x a x * x

Alternately:

r k G a p A p Ai

kxa:
volumetric mass transfer coefficient
based on the liquid phase

a:
interfacial area per unit volume of
packed column

r k L a c Ai c A

r K G a p A p A * r K L a c A * c A
31

y yi
kxa

x xi
kya

y
Slope:
-kxa/kya
yi
y*

xi

See Fig. 14-4 and Eqn. 14-14 Perrys.

32

x*

Overall driving forces:

1
1
m

K ya k ya k x a
y = mx

1
1
1

K x a mk y a k x a
Note:
When the solubility of gas is very high, m is very
small and the gas-film resistance controls the
rate of absorption.

33

Calculation of
PACKED HEIGHT
- PACKED COLUMN DESIGN -

CALCULATION OF TOWER HEIGHT (PACKED HEIGHT)

The height of the packing (ZT) can be calculated in two
ways:
1. ZT = (Nt) (HETP)

HETP - height equivalent to a theoretical

plate; Nt no. of ideal plates

2. ZT = (HTU) (NTU)
HTU height of a transfer unit; NTU number
of transfer units

can be designed using any of the four basic

rate equations.
Kya or kya is often used.

does not require any assumption about the

controlling phase
A design based on Kya or kya is as simple and
35
accurate as one based
on Kxa and kxa.

Use of HETP in Absorber Design

o Also valid for distillation and dilute-gas stripping

systems
o For relationship between HETP and HOG, see
equations 14-29 and 14-30 of Perrys CHE
Handbook (8th ed.)

36

HTU NTU Method

of Determining Packed Height

37

Assume change in molar flux is

negligible:

K y aS

dy
dZ

ya y y *
V 0
yb
V 1
dy
ZT

S K y a ya y y *

La

Va

xa

ya

L,x
ZT

dZ

-Vdy = Kya (y y*)SdZ

V,y

ZT

yb

V
H Oy [HTU]
SK y a
yb

Vb
yb

Lb
xb

dy
y y y * NOy [NTU]
a

SEE ALSO EQ. 14-5 TO 14-9 of Perrys

38
ChE HB (8th ed.)

HTU height of a transfer unit

o The height of a transfer unit is a measure of the

separation effectiveness of the particular packing
for the chemical species being processed.
o If the rate of interphase mass transfer is high and
the surface area for transfer is large, then the
height of a transfer unit will be small.

39

NTU number of transfer units

o NTU is a measure of difficulty of separation. It is the
ratio of the total change in composition for the
particular phase and the available driving force.
o If both OL and EC are straight and parallel:
o NTU = Nt (no. of theoretical or ideal stages)
o If slope of OL > slope of EC:
o NTU > Nt

o If slope of OL < slope of EC:

o NTU < Nt
40

For straight OL and EC:

N Oy

y b ya

y y*

y b y * y a y *

N Oy

yb ya

y LM

N Ox

xb xa
x LM ?

x LM

yLM

41

yb y *

ln
ya y *

For dilute solutions with OL and EC both straight

but not parallel:
42

N OG

mG
1

ln 1
mG
L
1
L

y b mx a

y a mx a

mG

y* mx

EQN. 14-23 /
14-28 Perrys

Equilibrium curve (EC) follows Henrys law:

Also:

N OG

A
1
Nt
ln
1 A A

A absorption factor
A

L
mG

For dilute solutions with OL and EC both straight

but not parallel:
43

A
1
HETP H OG
ln
1 A A

The choice of which combination of

HTU (H) and NTU (N) to use
depends upon the form in which mass
transfer coefficient is available.

44

Four kinds of transfer units:

GAS FILM

V
Hy
k y aS

dy
Ny
y yi

LIQUID FILM

L
Hx
k x aS

dx
Nx
xi x

OVERALL GAS

OVERALL LIQUID

H Oy

K y aS

H Ox

K x aS

N Oy

dy

y y*

N Ox

dx

x * x

ZT = HyNy = HxNx = HOyNOy = HOxNOx

45

EQN. 14-15 /
14-16 Perrys

Important
46

If the principal resistance is in the gas phase, use ZT

= HOGNOG.
If the principal resistance is in the liquid phase, use
ZT = HOLNOL.

Alternate forms of transfer coefficient:

GM
Hy
k G aP
Gx / x
Hx
kLa
H Oy

GM

K G aP

H Ox

Gx / x

K G aP

GM

Gy

M
S

G = mass velocity

47

Recall:

1
1
m

K ya k ya kxa

1
1
1

K x a k x a mk y a

GM
GM mGM LM

K ya k ya
k x a LM

LM
LM
LM GM

K x a k x a mk y a GM

H Oy

GM
LM
H x H Ox H x
H y
H y m
LM
mGM
See Eqn. 14-19 Perrys.
Note:

Gx L
LM

M S
48

PROBLEM 1
A gas stream containing 3% A is passed through a
packed column to remove 99% of the A by absorption
in water. The absorber will operate at 25oC and 1 atm,
and the gas and liquid rates are to be 20 mole h-1 ft-2
and 100 mole h-1 ft-2, respectively. Mass transfer
coefficient and equilibrium data are as follows:
y* = 3.1 x at 25oC
kxa = 60 mol h-1 ft-3 (mole fraction)-1
kya = 15 mol h-1 ft-3 (mole fraction)-1

A)Evaluate NOy, Hoy and ZT.

B)Calculate ZT using NOx and HOx.
49

PROBLEM 2
A soluble gas is absorbed in water using a packed
tower. The equilibrium relationship may be taken as y =
0.06x. Terminal conditions are as follows:
top

bottom

0.08

0.001

0.009

If Hx = 0.24 m and Hy = 0.36 m, what is the height of the

packed column?

50

PROBLEM 3
During the unloading of a tank car into a storage
tank, air containing 0.02 mol fraction of a watersoluble gas comes out of the storage tank. This air is
to be scrubbed with water in a countercurrent packed
column to reduce the concentration of the gas to
0.0001 mole fraction.
The following data are
available: gas flow rate = 1000 scfm/ft2 tower cross
section; pure water rate = 1500 lb/hft2 tower cross
section; equilibrium relationship y* = 1.8x; Kya = 2
lbmol/ft3hmol fraction.
A) Determine the packing height.
B) Determine the minimum pure water requirement.

51

PROBLEM 4
It is desired to design a packed tower to scrub ammonia gas
from air by means of ammonia-free water fed to the top of the
column. Under anticipated conditions, the equilibrium
conditions are given by Y = 0.80X. Two gas streams are to be
treated: (a) 16 mol/s of a concentrated gas containing 4.76 mole
percent ammonia to be fed to the bottom of the tower, and (b) 17
mol/s of a dilute gas containing 2.44 mole percent to be
introduced at proper point. The tower is to be tall enough to
have an exit-gas concentration of 0.005 mole of ammonia per
mole of ammonia-free air. Calculate the total packed height
required.
Use water flow rate of 25 mol/s. The maximum velocity of the air
stream at any point is to be 40 mol/s per m2 empty tower. For the
packing used Kya = 7.30(V/S)0.57, with V/S in mol/sm2 and Kya in
mol/sm3.

52

Calculation of
CAPACITY & PRESSURE DROP
- PACKED COLUMN DESIGN -

PACKED COLUMN:
CAPACITY AND PRESSURE DROP
Loading point is the gas flow rate at which the gas starts to
hinder the liquid downflow. The liquid holdup is not
affected by the vapor density.
Flooding velocity is the upper limit to the rate of gas flow,
above which the tower cannot operate. This applies to a
given type and size of packing.
The column diameter is determined so as to safely avoid
flooding and operate in the preloading region with a
pressure drop of no greater than 1.5 in. of H2O head per
foot of packed height (equivalent to 0.054 psi / ft of
packing).
54

PACKED COLUMN HYDRAULICS

55

*At low L rates, the effective xsection of the packing is not

appreciably different from that of
dry packing, and -P is due to
flow thru a series of variable
openings in the bed. [-P (gas
rate)2]

*As L holdup increases:

-If packing consists of extended
surfaces, small change in gas
rate results to great -P
(FLOODING).

-If packing surface is

discontinuous, phase inversion
occurs, and gas bubbles thru the
liquid.

GPDC: GENERALIZED FLOODING-PRESSURE

DROP CORRELATION FOR PACKED COLUMNS
(Leva, 1954; Eckert, 1970)
One significant advantage of a packed
column is its relatively low pressure drop
per unit of packed height, as compared
to trayed tower.

56

Fig. 14-55 CHE HB

Pressure drop per foot of

packed height

capacity parameter

FLG

L G

G L
57

0.5

58

CP C F
0.5
S P

0.05

G
US

L G

0.50
0.5 0.05

FP

14-140 CHE HB

US

superficial gas velocity, ft/s

G, L

gas and liquid densities

Fp

packing factor, ft-1

kinematic viscosity of liquid, cS

gas-phase mass velocity

liquid-phase mass velocity

CS

C-factor, based on tower superficial cross-sectional area, ft2(Eq. 14-77)

CP

capacity factor, dimensional (see Eq. 14-140)

FLG

L G

G L

0.5

14-141 CHE HB
59

Evaluation of COLUMN DIAMETER (DT)

60

CONTINUITY EQUATION:

2
m G G M M G G fU t D T
4

DT

4G M M G
fUt G

fraction of flooding velocity

0.50 to 0.70

GM

molar flow rate of gas

There is not a specific flood curve; a pressure

of 1.50 in H2O / ft is considered to represent
an incipient flooding condition, although
pressure drops at flooding have been measured
in the range of 2.0 to 2.5 inches H2O / ft.
An empirical equation for limiting pressure drops
is:
Pflood = 0.115 FP0.70

9 < FP < 60

P flood = pressure drop at flooding, inch H2O / ft of packing

61

PROBLEM 5
Air containing 5 mol % NH3 at a total flow rate of 40
lbmol/h, enters a packed column operating at 20oC and 1
atm, where 90% of the ammonia is scrubbed by a
countercurrent flow of 3,000 lb/h of water. Use GPDC to
estimate the superficial gas flooding velocity, the
column inside diameter for operation at 70% of flooding,
and the pressure drop per foot of packing for two
packing materials: (a) 1 ceramic Raschig rings (FP =
179 ft2/ft3) and (b) 1 metal IMTP packing (FP = 41 ft2/ft3).

62

PROBLEM 6
The capacity of a column is to be increased by
55% by replacing the existing 1-in metal Raschig
rings with some other packing without
significantly changing the % flooding. The end
compositions, L/G ratio, pressure, temperature,
etc., remain unchanged. Select the packing.

63

PROBLEM 7
A tower packed with 1-in ceramic Intalox saddles is
to be built to treat 25,000 ft3 or entering gas per hour.
The ammonia content of the entering gas is 2% by
volume. Ammonia-free water is used as absorbent.
The temperature is 68oF, and the pressure is 1 atm.
The ratio of gas flow to liquid flow is 1 lb of gas per
lb of liquid.

a) If the gas velocity is to be the flooding velocity,

what should be the diameter of the tower?
b) What is the pressure drop if the packed section is 20
ft high?

64

PROBLEM 8
Ammonia is being absorbed in a tower using pure water
at 25oC and 1 atm absolute pressure. The feed rate is
1440 lb/h and contains 3 mol % ammonia in air. The
process design specifies a liquid-to-gas mass flow rate
ratio L/G of 2/1 and the use of 1 metal Pall rings.
Calculate the pressure drop in the packing and gas
mass velocity at flooding. Using 50% of the flooding
velocity, calculate the pressure drop, gas and liquid
flows, and tower diameter.

65