CHEMICAL ENGINEERING SERIES

GAS
ABSORPTION
Compilation of Lectures and Solved Problems

CHEMICAL ENGINEERING SERIES 2

GAS ABSORPTION
GAS ABSORPTION
A unit operation where a soluble vapor is absorbed from its mixture with an inert gas by means of
a liquid in which the solute is more soluble
Solute is subsequently recovered from liquid by distillation
DESORPTION OR STRIPPING
Process of removing gas dissolved in a liquid and where the liberated gas is taken up in a gas or
vapor in contact with the liquid
It is the reverse of gas absorption
GAS ABSORPTION EQUIPMENT
1. Plate Column
2. Packed Tower
PROBLEMS INVOLVING GAS ABSORPTION:
1.
2.
3.
4.

Calculation of tower height

Calculation of number of equilibrium stages
Calculation of efficiency
Calculation of vapour-liquid handling capacity of the equipment involved

DEFINITIONS OF TERMS:
1. Absorption Column a plate column where gas is absorbed while a gas mixture bubbles
through the liquid which passes down from plate to plate
2. Absorption Factor a parameter in the Kremser equation for calculation of absorption
columns and towers; the product of the total pressure and the liquid flow rate in moles per
second divided by the product of Henrys Law constant and the gas flow rate in moles per
second
3. Absorption Tower a tower where liquid flows down over a packing material in countercurrent or co-current flow with a gaseous mixture while one or more of the gaseous
components are absorbed in the liquid
.
4. Absorbent liquid which takes up one or more components from a gaseous mixture
5. Chanelling the condition in which packing surface is not wetted by the flowing liquid due to
low liquid rates. It is the chief reason for the poor performance of large packed towers.
Channelling is severe in towers filled with stacked packing, which is the main reason they are
not much used. It is less severe in dumped packings.
6. Downcomer a tube or duct leading liquid from one plate in column to the next plate
7. Downflow Flooding in plate columns, excessive build up of liquid on the plates caused by
insufficient drainage through the downcomers
8. Entrainment flooding in distillation and absorption, excessive carry-over of suspended
droplets following the vapour or gas upwards through the column

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GAS ABSORPTION
9. Flooding Velocity in a given packed tower with a given type and size of packing and with a
definite flow of liquid, this is the upper limit to the rate of gas flow. At flooding point, the liquid
can no longer flow down through the packing and is blown out with the gas. In an actual
operating tower, the gas velocity is well below flooding. The optimum economic gas velocity
is about one half or so of the flooding velocity
10. Lean Gas outgoing gas mixture in air or gas absorption column/tower
11. Loading Point the point in a logarithmic pressure drop gas velocity diagram for packed
columns where the pressure drop start to increase more rapidly with increasing gas or vapor
velocity caused by rapid increase in liquid hold-up. Further increase in gas or vapor velocity
ends in flooding.
12. Packed Column Tower a column for distillation, absorption or extraction, consisting of a
cylindrical shell filled with small objects (packing) to bring about intimate contact between
rising fluid (vapor, gas, liquid) and descending liquid
13. Packing small objects used to provide a large contact area between rising fluid and
descending liquid in packed columns, such as saddles, rings, grates and pieces of coke
14. Packing Diameter the outer diameter of proprietary rings such as Raschig rings and pall
rings. The size of saddles are given by a number corresponding to one of the dimensions in
inches
15. Random Packing/Dumped Packing in packed columns and towers, packing units lying
randomly as they happened to fall when dumped down
16. Rich Gas gas mixture entering the gas absorption column/tower
17. Scrubbing the process in which a liquid is employed to achieve or assist in the removal of
dispersed particles from the gas
18. Stacked Packing in distillation and absorption columns, a packing consisting of symmetric
materials stacked on top of each other, for instance rings placed beside each other with
vertical axis or wooden grids in cross-packed layers. Wooden grids are used in the aluminum
industry in large towers for absorption of SO2 and hydrogen fluoride from ventilation air
19. Strong Liquor the outlet liquid, which is enriched in solute
20. Weak Liquor the inlet liquid, which may be oure solvent or a dilute solution of solute in the
solvent

PRINCIPLES OF GAS ABSORPTION:

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GAS ABSORPTION

Nomenclature:

V'

= molar flow rate of solute-free gas

V 1 = molar flow rate of rich gas

V 2 = molar flow rate of lean gas
L'

= molar flow rate of solute-free liquid

L1 = molar flow rate of strong liquor

y 1 = mole fraction of solute in rich gas
Y 1 = mole ratio of solute with solute-free gas
y 2 = mole fraction of solute in lean gas
Y 2 = mole ratio of solute with solute-free gas
x 1 = mole fraction of solute in strong liquor
X 1 = mole ratio of solute in strong liquor with the solute-free liquor
x 2 = mole fraction of solute in weak liquor
X 2 = mole ratio of solute in weak liquor with the solute-free liquor
Assumptions:
1. Evaporation of solvent is negligible

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GAS ABSORPTION
2. The solute-free gas is relatively insoluble in the solvent used. Therefore, solute free gas is
constant

Gas Phase Concentration, based on Daltons Law:

p= yP

y
1 y

Y=

Liquid Phase Concentration,

x=

C
m

X=

x
1 x

Where:

p = partial pressure of the solute in gas

P = total pressure of the gas

C

= moles of solute per unit volume of solution

m = molar density of the solution, moles of solution per unit volume of solution
Over-all Material Balance

V 1+ L2=V 2 + L1

Solute Balance

y 1 V 1 + x 2 L2 = y 2 V 2 + x 1 L 1

Y 1 V ' + X 2 L ' =Y 2 V ' + X 1 L '

L' ( X 1X 2 ) =V ' ( Y 1Y 2 )
L ' Y 1 Y 2
=
V ' X 1 X 2
At any height Z of the absorber,

Y 1 V ' + XL'=YV ' + X 1 L'

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GAS ABSORPTION

[ Y V ' =Y 1 V ' + X L' X 1 L' ] V1 '

Y=

L'
L'
X
X +Y OPERATING LINE EQUATION
V'
V' 1 1

Slope , m=

L'
V'

Y intercept =

L '
X +Y
V' 1 1

PERCENTAGE RECOVERY

V ' Y 1V ' Y 2
Recovery =
x 100
V 'Y1
Recovery =

Y 1Y 2
x 100
Y1

X Y PLOT FOR GAS ABSORBER

Note:
Point (1) at the bottom of the absorber
Point (2) at the top of the absorber
SOURCE OF EQUILIBRIUM CURVE:

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GAS ABSORPTION
1. Henrys Law for dilute solution

y=

p
P

p=Hx
y=

H
H
x , slope , m=
P
P

Where:

= Henrys Law Constant

2. Raoults Law for ideal solution

p=xP
y=

p
x
P

Where:

= vapor pressure

3. Vaporization Constant

y=Kx

Where:

= vaporization Constant

MINIMUM LIQUID TO GAS RATIO:

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GAS ABSORPTION
If

Y 1 ,Y 2 , X 2 ,V '

equilibrium with

are fixed and kept constant,

X1

will corresponds to the value that is in

Y1

If less liquid, L (or more gas, V) is used:

The slope of the operating line will decrease

The exit liquid composition will be greater
The diffusional driving force will be less
The absorption will be more difficult
The time of contact between liquid and gas must be greater
The tower/column must be taller

At minimum liquid rate, Lminimum

The slope of the operating line, L/V, is minimum

The exit liquid composition, X1, will be maximum

The diffusional driving force at point M is zero

The time of contact between liquid and gas in infinite
The height of tower/column is infinite
The minimum liquid-gas ratio represents a limiting value

X 1= X 1 max= X 1

To solve for (L/V)minimum

L'
V'

( )

min

Y 1Y 2
X 1 X 2

ABSORPTION FACTOR:

A=

L'
mG '

When A is large, the solute tends to be absorbed in the liquid phase

GAS ABSORPTION IN PLATE COLUMN
A. Kremser-Brown Absorption Factor use to rapidly determine the number of theoretical
stages for gas absorption. It is based on the assumptions that operating line and equilibrium
diagram are both straight lines

E=

y 1 y 2 AA N+1
=
y 1 y 2 1A N +1

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GAS ABSORPTION

ln
N=

AE
A AE
ln A

Where:

= number of theoretical equilibrium stages

= absorption factor

E = effectiveness or percentage absorbed

B. Tiller-Tour Equation simplified Kremser-Brown Absorption equation

ln
N=

ln
N=

AE
A AE
ln A

Y Y 2
L'
1
mV ' Y 1Y 2

L'
L' Y 1 Y 2

mV ' mV ' Y 1Y 2

ln

[ ]
L'
mV '

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GAS ABSORPTION

ln

N=

L'
Y 1Y 2 ) m ( Y 1Y 2 )
(
V'
m ( Y 1 Y 2 )

L ' [ ( Y 1Y 2 ) ( Y 1Y 2 ) ]

mV '
( Y 1Y 2 )

ln

N=

L'
Y 1Y 2 )m ( Y 1Y 2 )
(
V'
ln
L'

( Y Y 2 )
V' 2
ln

ln
N=

[
[

ln

[ ]
L'
mV '

Y 1Y 2
Y 1Y 2

Y 1Y 2

( Y Y 2 )
X 1X 2 2

ln

N=

[ ]
L'
mV '

Y 1 Y 2
Y 1 Y 2

( Y 1Y 2 )
( Y 1Y 2 )
X 1 X 2
X 1X 2

Y 1Y 1
ln
Y 2Y 2

[ ]
(
(

] [
] [
=

Y 1Y 2
X 1X 2

Y 1 Y 2
X 1X 2

y 1 y 1
ln
y 2 y 2

ln

)
)

]
]

Y 1Y 2
y 1 y 2

C. Colburn Factor another way to determine the number of theoretical stages for absorbers.
This equation is based on a straight line equilibrium line only. The operating line is not
straight

E=1

A 1 ( A 21 )2
A 2 ( A 11 ) ( A2 N+1 +1 )

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GAS ABSORPTION

N=

A1
A2 1 2 1
ln

A2
( 1E ) ( A1 1 ) A 2

Where:

A 1=

ln A2

L1
L
; A 2= 2
mV 1
mV 2

D. McCabe-Thiele Method used if one of the lines (operating line and equilibrium diagram) is
not straight
a. Using mole ratios, (X, Y) operating line is straight line; equilibrium diagram is nonlinear

b. Using mole fraction, (x, y) operating line is non-linear; equilibrium diagram is

straight line

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GAS ABSORPTION

GAS ABSORPTION IN PACKED TOWER

Dual Film Theory:

Mass Transfer Equation at the Gas Film

( d N A )G =K G ( P A P Ai ) dA
dA=aS dZ
PA= y A P

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GAS ABSORPTION

K G=

Ky
P

( d N A )G =aK y ( y A y Ai ) dZ
Where:

( d N A )G

= rate of mass transfer in gaseous phase = absorption rate

K y = gas phase mass transfer coefficient

a

= packing property (dependent of material type); mass transfer area / volume of

packing material

dA

= mass transfer area

= cross sectional area of the tower

= height of the tower

P A = partial pressure of component A

y A = mole fraction of A in the gas phase
Mass Transfer Equation at the Liquid Film

( d N A ) L =K L ( C AiC A ) dA
( d N A ) L =aK L ( C AiC A ) SdZ
( d N A ) L =aK x ( x Aix A ) SdZ
Where:

(d N A)L

= rate of mass transfer in liquid phase

K L , K x = liquid phase mass transfer coefficient

CA

= concentration of solute in liquid phase

x A = mole fraction of solute in liquid phase

At steady state:
Mass flux in gas = Mass flux in liquid

K y ( y y i ) =K x ( x ix )
K x y y i
=
K y x ix
DESIGN METHODS FOR ABSORPTION OF DILUTE GAS MIXTURES IN PACKED TOWERS
1. Plot the operating line equation.

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GAS ABSORPTION
2. Calculate

V=

V ,V 1 , V 2 , L , L1 , L2

V 1 +V 2
L +L
; L= 1 2
2
2
x i1 , y i1 at point

3. Calculate interface compositions,

k 'xa

kxa
slope=
=
ky a

k 'y a

[
[

1
( 1x )
1
( 1 y )

]
]

[ ]
[ ]

1
1x
=
1
k'y a
1 y
k'x a

4. Compute for the tower height

From Geankoplis, equation 6.26, using gas phase

V
( y y )=k ' y a z ( y y i )M
S 1 2

( y y i ) M =

( y 1 y i 1 ) ( y 2 y i 2 )
ln

y 1 y i 1
y 2 y i 2

From Geankoplis, equation 6.27, using liquid phase

L
( x x ) =k ' x a z ( x ix )M
S 1 2

( x ix )M =

( xi 1x 1 )( xi 2x 2 )
ln

x i 1x 1
x i 2x 2

From Geankoplis, equation 6.28, using gas phase

( y y )=K ' y a z ( y y )M
S 1 2

( y y )M =

( y1 y 1 ) ( y 2 y 2 )
y 1 y 1
ln
y 2 y 2

From equation 10.4-24 (Geankoplis)

( 1 y ) M ( 1 y ) m' ( 1x )
=
+
K 'y a
k ' ya
k 'x a

x1 , y1

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GAS ABSORPTION
From equation 10.4-25 (Geankoplis)

( 1 y ) M =

( 1 y 1) ( 1 y 1)
1 y 1
ln
1 y 1

From equation 10.4-6 (Geankoplis)

( 1 y ) =

( 1 y i1 ) ( 1 y 1 )
ln

1 y i 1
1 y 1

From equation 10.4-7 (Geankoplis)

( 1x )=

( 1x 1 )( 1x i 1)
ln

1x 1
1x i 1

From Geankoplis, equation 6.29, using liquid phase

( x x ) =K ' x a z ( x x )M
S 1 2

( x x ) M =

( x 1 x 1 )( x2 x 2 )
ln

x 1 x 1
x 2 x 2