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AIR STRIPPING

The removal of volatile


contaminants from
water and contaminated
soils

Air Stripping Tower Use

Air
Stripping
Towers

Some column internals

Clockwise from
top left:
Packing,
bubble caps,
mist eliminator,
sieve tray

Case Study:
TCE Contaminated
Site Remediation

Henrys Law
Henry's Law states that the amount of a gas that
dissolves into a liquid is proportional to the partial
pressure that gas exerts on the surface of the
liquid.
In equation form, that is:

CA = KH pA
where,
CA
[mg/L]
KH

= concentration of A, [mol/L] or

= equilibrium constant (Henry's


Law constant), [mol/L-atm] or
[mg/L-atm]
See also http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry's_law
pA
= partial pressure of A, [atm]

Example: Solubility of O2 in Water


Although the atmosphere we breathe is
comprised of approximately 20.9 percent
oxygen, oxygen is only slightly soluble in water.
In addition, the solubility decreases as the
temperature increases. Thus, oxygen
availability to aquatic life decreases during the
summer months when the biological processes
which consume oxygen are most active.
Summer water temperatures of 25 to 30C are
typical for many surface waters in the U.S.
Henry's Law constant for oxygen in water is
61.2mg/L-atm at 5C and 40.2mg/L-atm at
25C. What is the solubility of oxygen at 5C

Solution O2 Solubility Example


At 50C the solubility is:

CO2 (5 C) = KH,O2 PO2

mg
= 61.2
x 0.209 atm
L- atm

mg
CO2 (5 C) = 12.8
L
At 250C the solubility is:
CO2 (25 C) = KH,O2 PO2

mg
= 40.2
x 0.209 atm
L- atm

mg
CO2 (25 C) = 8.40
L

Air Stripping Example


An air stripping tower, similar to
that shown, is to be used to
remove dissolved carbon dioxide
gas from a groundwater supply.
If the tower lowers the level to
twice the equilibrium
concentration, what amount of
dissolved gas will remain in the
water after treatment? The partial
pressure
of carbon dioxide in the
Example
4.2 from Ray
atmosphere is 10-3.7atm.

Solution Air Stripping Example


Henry's Law constant for carbon dioxide =
1.14L/L Divide by RT, i.e. 1.14/(0.083x288) =
0.048 =10-1.3 mol L-1atm-1 The equilibrium
solubility is then:
-1.3 mole
-3.7
CCO = K H,CO pCO = 10
10 atm
L- atm
2

CCO2

3
mole
44
g
mg
10
-5
-5
= 10 M = 10
x
x
L
mole
g

CCO2 = 0.44 mg/L

Answer = 0.9 mg/L CO2

Two-film partitioning in gas-liquid


ys*
Bulk
gas

ys

Bulk
liquid

Cs*

Cb
yb

yb
Cs
Cs*
Stripping

Bulk
gas

Bulk
liquid

Cs

Cb
ys
ys*

Absorption

Mass transfer calculations


Henrys law applies because of equilibrium at interface:

ys = HCs
Ficks law applies: flux is proportional to the driving force

JA = kL(Cb Cs) kg(ys yb)

Relationship of transfer coefficients


Another approach is that all the resistance
to transfer is in the liquid phase, so

yb = HC*s
Alternatively all the resistance to transfer
could be in the gas phase, so

ys* = HCb
Mass flux based on water phase, substitutions, and
applying Henrys law to liquid concentrations leads to

1/KLa = 1/kLa + 1/Hkga


Similarly

1/K a = H/k a + 1/k a

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