Absorption: Gas absorption essentially involved the transfer of materials from the gas phase to the liquid phase.

It is "defined" as the operation in which a gas mixture is contacted with a liquid for the purpose of preferentially dissolving one or more components of the gas mixture and to provide a solution of them in the liquid. The gaseous component is said to be absorbed by the liquid. The transferred component is known as the solute. Absorption involves no change in the chemical species present in the system. Absorption is used to separate gas mixtures, remove impurities, or recover valuable chemicals. In the simplest case, gas absorption involves as least 3 components. 1. An ammonia-air-water system. The gas contains ammonia-air mixture. Ammonia is the solute and it is very soluble in water while air is not. The gas mixture with water, ammonia will dissolves preferentially in water, and a solution of ammonia in water (ammonium hydroxide) is obtained. Gas absorption processes are widely used in the industry. It can be used for removing contaminants or impurities from a gas stream. 2. One of the most common examples of gas absorption and stripping is the amine absorption and regeneration unit whereby toxic H2S gas from a fuel gas mixture is removed by liquid amine (DEA, MEA or glycol). 3. Absorption of CO2 using hot potassium carbonate, or using the solvent Selexol. 4. In air pollution control, the various oxides of nitrogen can be removed by absorption with water, sulfuric acid, and organic solutions. Gaseous ammonia can be removed by absorption with water. Stripping: The operation of removing the absorbed solute from the solvent is called stripping. Absorbers are normally used with strippers to permit regeneration (or recovery) and recycling of the absorbent.

Since stripping is not perfect, absorbent recycled to the absorber contains species present in the vapor entering the absorber. When water is used as the absorbent, it is normally separated from the solute by distillation rather than stripping

Absorption Equipment Absorption and stripping are conducted in tray (or plate or stage) columns, packed columns, spray towers, bubble columns, and centrifugal contactors. In general, operating pressure should be high and temperature low for an absorber, to minimize stage requirements and/or absorbent flow rate to lower the equipment volume required accommodating the gas flow. The reverse is true for stripping. However, the operating pressure should not be too high and the operating temperature should not be too low as to condense the feed gas.

Tray Column

The types of trays used in absorption include: sieve tray, valve tray and bubble-cap trays. These internals are the same as those covered in "Distillation". Packed Column Both random and structured packing had been used. Spray Column The gas flows upward continuously through an open chamber in which scrubbing liquid droplets falls from spray nozzles through the gas. The gas pressure drop is small, but separation is not as good as the bubble column. This column is widely used for its simplicity, low pressure drop, and resistance to scale deposition and plugging. Bubble Column The gas is forced under pressure through perforated pipes submerged in the scrubbing liquid. As such the gas phase is dispersed and the liquid phase is continuous. As the bubbles rise through the liquid, absorption of the gas occurs. This type of device suffers from the high pressure drop due to the liquid hydrostatic head. Sieve Tray In a sieve tray, the vapor passes through a large number of "holes" known as perforations (sieves) and emerges through the liquid in a vertical direction.

The sieve tray has the simplest design among the various tray types. There are no mechanical moving parts. There is no liquid seal and it is the passage of vapor that effectively prevents the loss of liquid through the sieves.

A phenomenon known as weeping - can occur at low vapor flow and/or high liquid rates when the liquid height on the tray exceeds the tray pressure drop. Valve Tray: A valve tray is a flat perforated plate, with each perforation fitted with a movable disk (the "valve").

The valves will move up or down in response to changing vapor flow rates. At normal flow rate, the valve is roughly in the middle position At low vapor rates, the disk settles over the perforation and covers it to avoid liquid weeping. The valves should be heavy enough to prevent excessive opening at low vapor flow rates. As the vapor rate is increased, the disk rises vertically (Figure below - right). The upward movement of the disk is restricted either by retaining legs or a cage. Weeping may result if excessive valve opening occurs prematurely. This will reduce the tray turndown.

Bubble-cap consist a slotted cap on a central riser.

The gas flows up through the riser, reverses flow under the cap, passes downward through the annulus between riser and cap, and finally passes into the liquid through a series of openings or "slots" in the lower side of the cap.

This device has a built-in liquid seal (i.e. the riser) which prevents liquid drainage at low gas rates. This design does not rely on the velocity of the upcoming vapour to hold the liquid on the tray. Because of its high cost and complexity, most modern column designs favour the use of sieve or valve trays over bubble-cap trays. Bubble-caps should only be used where very low vapor rates have to be handled, or adequate residence time is necessary for separation and/or chemical reaction, or in applications where a positive liquid seal is essential at all flow rates.

Adsorption: Diffusing molecules reach and bind to the outer layer of the fabric

Absorption: Diffusing molecules penetrate the outer layer and interact with the fabric 1. Adsorption A concentration of the chemical builds up on the surface. This can occur from the gas phase or through direct contact with the chemical in liquid or solid form. 2. Absorption The substance is taken up into the glove material.

3.

Diffusion Permeation (penetration at molecular level) of the material begins. The underlying mechanism is the concentration gradient from the outside of the glove to the inside. 4. Desorption Once the molecules have reached the inside of the glove, they diffuse again away from the surface.
Spring:In the beginning of the growing season the nitrate level is high due to use of fertilisers. Summer:In the growing season the soil is almost drained entirely of nitrate as a result of crop nitrogen uptake. For this reason the nitrate content in the soil is low at harvest. The crops water uptake in the summer means that no water runs out of the root zone, and as a result there is no nitrate leaching. Autumn:If the ground is bare in Autumn, the leaching of nitrogen from plant residues and organic substance, that continues through Autumn will result in an increase in the nitrate level again. If the soil is growing with catch crops eg grass, the catch crop will absorb a large proportion of the nitrogen, and the nitrate level in the soil will remain low. Winter:A part of the nitrate contained in the soil in Autumn can be leaching during winter depending on rainfall amount and type of soil. For this reason the nitrate level in the soil decreases during the period to next spring,when it all starts again.

The process of the nitrate content in the soil during the year. Drawing from report from 1990: Kvadratnettet 1986-1989. Illustrator unknown