Chapter 8
Material balances for systems without chemical reactions
The use of material balances in a process allows you (a) to calculate the values of the total
flows and flows of species in the streams that enter and leave the plant equipment, and (b) to
calculate the change of conditions inside the equipment.
Example 8.1
Two methanol- water mixtures are contained ul separate flasks. The first mixture contains 40.0 wt%
methanol, and the second contains 70.0 wt% methanol. If 200 g of the first mixture is combined with
150 g of the second. what is the mass and composition of the product?
Solution
Example 8.2
A slurry containing 25% by weight of solids is fed into a filter. The filter cake contains 90% solids
and the filtrate contains 1% solids. Make a complete material balance around the filter for a slurry
feed rate of 2000 kg/hr. For that feed rate, what are the corresponding for the cake and the filtrate?
Solution
Example 8.3
It is required to prepare 1250 kg of a solution composed of 12 wt% ethanol and 88 wt% water. Two
solutions are available, the first contains 5 wt.% ethanol, and the second contains 25 wt% ethanol.
How much of each solution are mixed to prepare the desired solution?
Solution
Example 8.4
An evaporator is fed continuously with 50,000 kg/h of a solution containing 10% NaOH, 10%
NaCl, and the rest water by weight. During evaporation, water is removed as vapor and salt NaCl
precipitates as crystals and is removed by filtration. The concentrated liquor leaving the evaporator
contains 50% NaOH, 2% NaCl, and the rest water. Calculate:
a) the mass of water evaporated per hour
b) the mass of salt precipitated per hour
c) the mass of concentrated liquor produced per hour
Solution
Example 8.5
Membranes represent a relatively new technology for the separation of gases. One use that has
attracted attention is the separation of nitrogen and oxygen from air. Figure E8.2a illustrates a
nanoporous membrane that is made by coating a very thin layer of polymer on a porous graphite
supporting layer. What is the composition of the waste stream if the waste stream amounts to 80%
of the input stream?
Solution
This is an open, steady-state process without chemical reaction.
Basis: 100 g mol = F
Chemical Engineering principles– First Year/ Chapter Eight
Dr. Ahmed Faiq Al-Alawy
Material balances: O2 and N2
The solution of these equations is
Check: total balance 100 = 20 + 80 OK
Another method for solution
The overall balance is easy to solve because
F=P+W or 100=P+ 80
Gives P = 20 straight off. Then, the oxygen balance would be
Note (Example 8.5)
is a redundant equation because it repeats some of the specifications.
Also, is redundant. Divide the equation by P to get a relation that is
equivalent to the sum of two of the specifications.
Example 8.6
A novice manufacturer of ethyl alcohol (denoted as EtOH) for gasohol is having a bit of difficulty
with a distillation column. The process is shown in Figure E8.3. It appears that too much alcohol is
lost in the bottoms (waste). Calculate the composition of the bottoms and the mass of the alcohol
lost in the bottoms based on the data shown in Figure E8.3 that was collected during 1 hour of
operation.
Solution
The process is an open system, and we assume it is in the steady state. No reaction occurs.
Basis: 1 hour so that F = 1000 kg of feed
We are given that P is (1/10) of F, so that P = 0.1(1000) = 100 kg
Basis: F= 1000 kg
Specifications:
P = (0.1) (F) = 100 kg
Material balances: EtOH and H2O
Implicit equations:
The total mass balance: F=P+B
B = 1000 – 100 = 900 kg
The solution for the composition of the bottoms can then be computed directly from the material
balances:
As a check let’s use the redundant equation
40 + 860 = 900 = B
Example 8.7
You are asked to prepare a batch of 18.63% battery acid as follows. A tank of old weak battery acid
(H2SO4) solution contains 12.43% H2SO4 (the remainder is pure water). If 200 kg of 77.7% H2SO4
is added to the tank, and the final solution is to be 18.63% H2SO4, how many kilograms of battery
acid have been made? See Figure E8.4.
Solution
1. An unsteady-state process (the tank initially contains sulfuric acid solution).
Accumulation = In – Out
2. Steady-state process (the tank as initially being empty)
In = Out (Because no accumulation occurs in the tank)
1) Solve the problem with the mixing treated as an unsteady-state process.
Basis = 200 kg of A
Material balances: H2SO4 and H2O
The balances will be in kilograms.
Note that any pair of the three equations is independent.
P = 2110 kg acid & F = 1910 kg acid
2) The problem could also be solved by considering the mixing to be a steady- state process.
Note: You can see by inspection that these equations are no different than the first set of mass
balances except for the arrangement and labels.
Example 8.8
In a given batch of fish cake that contains 80% water (the remainder is dry cake), 100 kg of water is
removed, and it is found that the fish cake is then 40% water. Calculate the weight of the fish cake
originally put into the dryer. Figure E8.5 is a diagram of the process.
Solution
This is a steady-state process without reaction.
Basis: 100 kg of water evaporated = W
A = 150 kg initial cake and B = (150)(0.20/0.60) = 50kg
Check via the water balance: 0.80 A = 0.40 B + 100
0.80(150) ≈ 0.40(50) + 100
120 = 120
Note
In Example 8.5 the BDC in the wet and dry fish cake is known as a tie component because the
BDC goes from a single stream in the process to another single stream without loss, addition, or
splitting.
Example 8.9
A tank holds 10,000 kg of a saturated solution of Na2CO3 at 30°C. You want to crystallize from this
solution 3000 kg of Na2CO3.10 H2O without any accompanying water. To what temperature must
the solution be cooled?
You definitely need solubility data for Na2CO3 as a function of the temperature:
Solution
No reaction occurs. Although the problem could be set up as a steady-state problem with flows in
and out of the system (the tank), it is equally justified to treat the process as an -unsteady-state
process.
Because the initial solution is saturated at 30°C, you can calculate the composition of the initial
solution:
Next, you should calculate the composition of the crystals.
Basis: 1 g mol Na2CO3.10 H2O
Chemical Engineering principles– First Year/ Chapter Eight
Dr. Ahmed Faiq Al-Alawy
Basis: 10,000 kg of saturated solution at 30°C
An unsteady-state problem, the mass balance reduces to (the flow in = 0)
Accumulation = In – Out
Basis: I = 10,000 kg
Material balances: Na2CO3, H2O
Note that are redundant
equations. C = CrystalsAlso redundant are equations such as
M.B.:
The solution for the composition and amount of the final solution is
Check using the total balance: 7,000 + 3,000 = 10,000
To find the temperature of the final solution,
Thus, the temperature to which the solution must be cooled lies between 20°C and 30°C. By linear
interpolation
Example 8.10
A simplified flowsheet for the manufacture of sugar is shown below:
Make material balance to calculate flow rates and composition of all streams in the process.
Solution
