Introduction to Mass Transfer II: Separation Processes and Design

Chemical separation processes are at the heart of industrial manufacturing, resource recovery, and environmental engineering. Understanding how substances move and separate is essential for designing efficient, sustainable chemical plants. This text-only course guides you through the fundamental principles and mathematical modeling of mass transfer operations without relying on complex lectures or video presentations. You will transition from a basic understanding of diffusion to confidently analyzing and designing industrial separation equipment. The course begins with foundational definitions and key thermodynamic terminology before moving into practical design calculations and modern modeling approaches. What you'll learn: - Understand the core principles of multicomponent distillation and vapor-liquid equilibria. - Design gas absorption and stripping columns using analytical and graphical methods. - Calculate height and diameter specifications for packed and tray towers. - Apply modern mass transfer correlations to predict mass transfer coefficients. - Analyze liquid-liquid extraction and membrane separation fundamentals. - Evaluate energy efficiency and sustainability parameters in separation processes. This course is structured to build your knowledge systematically, starting with essential mass transfer theories, moving through column design methodologies, and concluding with real-world process optimization scenarios. You will work through detailed written examples and step-by-step mathematical derivations at your own pace. This course is designed for undergraduate chemical engineering students, process engineers, and technical professionals looking to refresh their knowledge of separation processes. No advanced background in mass transfer is required, though a basic familiarity with fluid mechanics and thermodynamics is helpful. Start reading today to master the design and analysis of industrial mass transfer systems.