Fluid-Solid Operations

The unit operations considered so far in the all past chapters involved mass transfer between vapor and liquid phases. Other processes exist where solids interact with liquids and/or gases. Examples of such processes include adsorption, ion exchange, and chromatography. 

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Why adsorption, ion exchange and heterogeneous catalysis in one book The basic similarity between these phenomena is that they all are heterogeneous fluid-solid operations. Second, they are all driven by diffusion in the solid phase. Thus, mass transfer and solid-phase diffusion, rate-limiting steps, and other related phenomena are common. Third, the many aspects of the operations design of some reactors are essentially the same or at least similar, for example, the hydraulic analysis and scale-up. Furthermore, they all have important environmental applications, and more specifically they are all applied in gas and/or water treatment. 

Another separation or purification process involves fluid-solid operations that are the basis for adsorption. Several modes of operation exist and are discussed in detail with examples. 

The field of membrane separations is radically different from processes based on vapor-liquid or fluid-solid operations. This separation process is based on differences in mass transfer and permeation rates, rather than phase equilibrium conditions. Nevertheless, membrane separations share the same goal as the more traditional separation processes the separation and purification of products. The principles of multi-component membrane separation are discussed for membrane modules in various flow patterns. Several applications are considered, including purification, dialysis, and reverse osmosis. 

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