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Chemical Engineering vocabulary · Mass Transfer and Separation Processes

Absorption

Meaning in chemical engineering, with examples

/əbˈzɔːrpʃən/nounCore term

In chemical engineering, absorption means: A separation method in which one or more components of a gas dissolve into a liquid, for example CO2 being removed from gas by an amine solution.

In Turkish: absorpsiyon, soğurma, gaz yıkama

How it is used

Used in gas treating, emissions control and acid production. It is carried out in an absorber or scrubber column; the loaded solvent is then sent to a stripper or regenerator. Engineers talk about absorption efficiency and solvent circulation rate.

Example sentences

  1. Hydrogen sulfide is removed by absorption in an amine contactor.

  2. Absorption improves at lower temperature, so the lean amine is cooled first.

Common collocations

  • gas absorption
  • absorption column
  • absorption efficiency
  • physical absorption
  • chemical absorption
  • mass transferThe movement of a component from one place or phase to another because of a difference in concentration, for example from a gas into a liquid or from a liquid into a solid.
  • extractionA separation method that uses a solvent to pull a component out of a liquid or solid mixture, based on how much better it dissolves in the solvent.
  • diffusionThe movement of molecules from an area of high concentration to an area of low concentration caused by their random motion, without any bulk flow.
  • distillationA way of separating a liquid mixture by boiling it and condensing the vapor, using the fact that the components boil at different temperatures.

This word in other fields

The same English word can have a different meaning in another field:

More terms: Mass Transfer and Separation Processes

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