The movement of the mass of a component in a system containing two or more components from a region of high concentration to that of a lower concentration. It (p. 231) forms the basis of many chemical and biological processes such as crystallization, adsorption, liquid–liquid extraction, etc. The movement of mass is either by random molecular motion or by convective forces where mass is transferred from a surface into a moving fluid. The mass transfer coefficient is a measure of the diffusion rate that relates the mass transfer rate, mass transfer area, and concentration gradient as the driving force.