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• Spring 2006
• Detailed Descriptions:
  • ECHE 300
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To learn more about the Department of Chemical Engineering at The University of South Carolina, call or mail us at:

The University of South Carolina
Department of Chemical Engineering
2C02, Swearingen Engineering Center
301 South Main Street
Columbia, SC 29208

Ph 803.777.4181
Fax 803.777.8265

Maps: USC campus | Columbia, SC

ECHE 322: Mass Transfer

[Prereq: ECHE 300] Molecular diffusion in fluids; diffusion in laminar and turbulent flow; momentum, transport analogies; interfacial mass transfer, design applications include humidification, absorption, adsorption, and ion exchange.

The topic of mass transfer is unique to the chemical engineering undergraduate curriculum. Yet, it is as central to our daily lives as it is to the chemical industry. Mass transfer causes changes in the compositions of solutions and mixtures; therefore, it can be used effectively to separate a substance into its component parts. Many gas-liquid, liquid-liquid and solid-liquid unit operations in the chemical industry are based on the principals of mass transfer. This course covers molecular diffusion in fluids, diffusion in laminar and turbulent flow, momentum transport analogies, and interfacial mass transfer. Design applications include humidification, absorption, and stripping.

Expected Knowledge and Skills In:

• Thermodynamics (ideal gas law, single-component phase equilibrium)
• Setup and solve mass and energy balances
• Fluid properties (density, viscosity, surface tension, vapor pressure)
• Fluid statics (pressure, barometer, manometer, orifice meter)
• Fluids in motion (streamlines, buoyancy, unsteady state mass balance)
• Differential calculus/algebra

Expected Knowledge and Skills Out:

• Setup and solve differential mass balances
• Diffusion models (mass-transfer vs. diffusion coefficients; lumped vs. distributed parameters)
• Diffusion in dilute and concentrated solutions
• Estimation of diffusion coefficients
• Correlations for mass transfer coefficients
• Interfacial mass transfer
• Forced convection
• Absorption-packed bed processes
• Simultaneous heat and mass transfer
• Humidification processes-humidity charts

Relation to Other Courses:

To do well in Mass Transfer, an understanding of material from ECHE 300 is essential as is the material from ECHE 311 and ENGR 360. Mass Transfer also sets a firm foundation for ECHE 461, ECHE 466, and ECHE 467, unit operations, plant design, and safety oriented courses, respectively.