Penetration depths in multicomponent mass transfer

Abstract

The concept of the depth of penetration during mass transfer of a multicomponent mixture within a fluid phase is examined. It is shown that for mixtures exhibiting strong diffusional interactions, it is not possible to ascribe a simple physical significance to the penetration depth for each of the transferring species in the mixture. Further, it is shown that in the film model descro[topm for multicomponent mass transfer, the film thicknesses of each individual species must be taken to be different from one another.