Effective diffusivity, measurement

The described method above is known as the time lag method. It was proposed first by Grachev et al. [19] as a modification of Barrer s method for the determination of the permeability or Knudsen diffusivity [20]. His measurements were conducted with a single gas imposing a pressure drop across the sample. Note that, for effective diffusivity measurements, equal total pressures must be maintained on the two sides of the diffusion cell unless Knudsen diffusion prevails. 

It appears that a loose interpretation of this type may be the origin of a discrenancy found by Otanl and Smith [59] in attempting to apply effective diffusivities from Wakao and Smith s [32] isobaric diffusion data to measurements on a chemically reacting system. This was pointed out by Steisel and Butt [60], and further pursued to the point of detailed computer modeling of a particular pore network by Wakao and Nardse [61]. 

In contrast to the cell experiments of Gibilaro et al., it is now seen from equation (10.45) that measurement of the delay time gives no information about diffusion within the pellets this can be obtained only through equation (10.46) from measurements of the second moment. As in the case of the cell experiment, the results can also be Interpreted in terms of an "effective diffusion coefficient" associated with a Fick equation for the... 

The first thing to notice about these results is that the influence of the micropores reduces the effective diffusion coefficient below the value of the bulk diffusion coefficient for the macropore system. This is also clear in general from the forms of equations (10.44) and (10.48). As increases from zero, corresponding to the introduction of micropores, the variance of the response pulse Increases, and this corresponds to a reduction in the effective diffusion coefficient. The second important point is that the influence of the micropores on the results is quite small-Indeed it seems unlikely that measurements of this type will be able to realize their promise to provide information about diffusion in dead-end pores. 

Figure 10 shows that Tj is a unique function of the Thiele modulus. When the modulus ( ) is small (- SdSl), the effectiveness factor is unity, which means that there is no effect of mass transport on the rate of the catalytic reaction. When ( ) is greater than about 1, the effectiveness factor is less than unity and the reaction rate is influenced by mass transport in the pores. When the modulus is large (- 10), the effectiveness factor is inversely proportional to the modulus, and the reaction rate (eq. 19) is proportional to k ( ), which, from the definition of ( ), implies that the rate and the observed reaction rate constant are proportional to (1 /R)(f9This result shows that both the rate constant, ie, a measure of the intrinsic activity of the catalyst, and the effective diffusion coefficient, ie, a measure of the resistance to transport of the reactant offered by the pore stmcture, influence the rate. It is not appropriate to say that the reaction is diffusion controlled it depends on both the diffusion and the chemical kinetics. In contrast, as shown by equation 3, a reaction in solution can be diffusion controlled, depending on D but not on k. 

The mass transport influence is easy to diagnose experimentally. One measures the rate at various values of the Thiele modulus the modulus is easily changed by variation of R, the particle size. Cmshing and sieving the particles provide catalyst samples for the experiments. If the rate is independent of the particle size, the effectiveness factor is unity for all of them. If the rate is inversely proportional to particle size, the effectiveness factor is less than unity and

experimental points allow triangulation on the curve of Figure 10 and estimation of Tj and ( ). It is also possible to estimate the effective diffusion coefficient and thereby to estimate Tj and ( ) from a single measurement of the rate (48). 

Diffusion within the largest cavities of a porous medium is assumed to be similar to ordinary or bulk diffusion except that it is hindered by the pore walls (see Eq. 5-236). The tortuosity T that expresses this hindrance has been estimated from geometric arguments. Unfortunately, measured values are often an order of magnitude greater than those estimates. Thus, the effective diffusivity D f (and hence t) is normally determined by comparing a diffusion model to experimental measurements. The normal range of tortuosities for sihca gel, alumina, and other porous solids is 2 < T < 6, but for activated carbon, 5 < T < 65. 

Physical properties of catalysts also may need to be checked periodically, includiug pellet size, specific surface, porosity, pore size and size distribution, and effective diffusivity. The effectiveness of a porous catalyst is found by measuring conversions with successively smaller pellets until no further change occurs. These topics are touched on by Satterfield (Heterogeneous Cataly.sls in Jndustiial Practice, McGraw-Hill, 1991). 

Diffusivity and tortuosity affect resistance to diffusion caused by collision with other molecules (bulk diffusion) or by collision with the walls of the pore (Knudsen diffusion). Actual diffusivity in common porous catalysts is intermediate between the two types. Measurements and correlations of diffusivities of both types are Known. Diffusion is expressed per unit cross section and unit thickness of the pellet. Diffusion rate through the pellet then depends on the porosity d and a tortuosity faclor 1 that accounts for increased resistance of crooked and varied-diameter pores. Effective diffusion coefficient is D ff = Empirical porosities range from 0.3 to 0.7, tortuosities from 2 to 7. In the absence of other information, Satterfield Heterogeneous Catalysis in Practice, McGraw-HiU, 1991) recommends taking d = 0.5 and T = 4. In this area, clearly, precision is not a feature. 

For the effective diffusivity in pores, De = (0/t)D, the void fraction 0 can be measured by a static method to be between 0.2 and 0.7 (Satterfield 1970). The tortuosity factor is more difficult to measure and its value is usually between 3 and 8. Although a preliminary estimate for pore diffusion limitations is always worthwhile, the final check must be made experimentally. Major results of the mathematical treatment involved in pore diffusion limitations with reaction is briefly reviewed next. 

Atwood and Goldstein [16] examined the effect of pressure on solute diffusivity and an example of some of their results is shown in Figure 7. It is seen that the diffusivity of the solutes appears to fall linearly with inlet pressure up to 40 MPa and the slopes of all the curves appear to be closely similar. This might mean that, in column design, diffusivities measured or calculated at atmospheric pressure might be used after they have been appropriately corrected for pressure using correction factors obtained from results such as those reported by Atwood and Goldstein [16]. It is also seen that the... 

The ratio of the overall rate of reaction to that which would be achieved in the absence of a mass transfer resistance is referred to as the effectiveness factor rj. SCOTT and Dullion(29) describe an apparatus incorporating a diffusion cell in which the effective diffusivity De of a gas in a porous medium may be measured. This approach allows for the combined effects of molecular and Knudsen diffusion, and takes into account the effect of the complex structure of the porous solid, and the influence of tortuosity which affects the path length to be traversed by the molecules. 

It depends only on J sJkj A, which is a dimensionless group known as the Thiele modulus. The Thiele modulus can be measured experimentally by comparing actual rates to intrinsic rates. It can also be predicted from first principles given an estimate of the pore length =2 . Note that the pore radius does not enter the calculations (although the effective diffusivity will be affected by the pore radius when dpore is less than about 100 run). 

Suppose that catalyst pellets in the shape of right-circular cylinders have a measured effectiveness factor of r] when used in a packed-bed reactor for a first-order reaction. In an effort to increase catalyst activity, it is proposed to use a pellet with a central hole of radius i /, < Rp. Determine the best value for RhjRp based on an effective diffusivity model similar to Equation (10.33). Assume isothermal operation ignore any diffusion limitations in the central hole, and assume that the ends of the cylinder are sealed to diffusion. You may assume that k, Rp, and eff are known. 

Another important factor in diffusion measurements that is often encountered in NMR experiments is the effect of time on diffusion coefficients. For example, Kinsey et al. [195] found water diffusion coefficients in muscles to be time dependent. The effects of diffusion time can be described by transient closure problems within the framework of the volume averaging method [195,285]. Other methods also account for time effects [204,247,341]. 

As a typical example, in the long time limit, t —> oo, of diffusion confined to spheres of radius R, the effective diffusivity of PFG NMR measurements is found to be [4, 8, 10]... 

The above iso-pH measurements are based on the 2% DOPC/dodecane system (model 1.0 over pH 3-10 range). Another membrane model was also explored by us. Table 7.16 lists iso-pH effective permeability measurements using the soy lecithin (20% wt/vol in dodecane) membrane PAMPA (models 17.1, 24.1, and 25.1) The negative membrane charge, the multicomponent phospholipid mixture, and the acceptor sink condition (Table 7.1) result in different intrinsic permeabilities for the probe molecules. Figure 7.40 shows the relationship between the 2% DOPC and the 20% soy iso-pH PAMPA systems for ketoprofen. Since the intrinsic permeability of ketoprofen in the soy lecithin membrane is about 20 times greater than in DOPC membrane, the flat diffusion-limited transport region of the log Pe... 

The effective diffusivities determined from limiting-current measurements appear at first applicable only to the particular flow cell in which they were measured. However, it can be argued plausibly that, for example, rotating-disk effective diffusivities are also applicable to laminar forced-convection mass transfer in general, provided the same bulk electrolyte composition is used (H8). Furthermore, the effective diffusivities characteristic for laminar free convection at vertical or inclined electrodes are presumably not significantly different from the forced-convection diffusivities. 

Effective diffusivities for these ions in equimolar concentration ratio and with various inert electrolytes, have been determined by several methods (see Table III). The mobility products obtained from capillary cell (stagnant diffusion) and rotating-disk measurements are in fairly good agreement. 

Measurements of rotating-disk effective diffusivities (H7, S8)forCu2+ ion (see Section I V,C) indicate that a greater increase in surface area takes place when the limiting current is generated by linear potential decrease than... 

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