A quantity that characterizes the extent of the movement of mass across a boundary. It is defined as the ratio of the mass flux to the difference between mass fractions on either side of the boundary:
where n is the mass transfer rate, a is the effective mass transfer area, and ΔCA is the driving force concentration difference. It is used to quantify the mass transfer between phases and in mixtures, and is used to design and size separation equipment. Mass transfer coefficients can be obtained from theoretical equations, correlations, and material properties, depending on the material or process being studied. For example, the mass transfer coefficient can be correlated using the Sherwood number (Sh) with the Reynolds number (Re), Grashof (Gr) number, and the Schmidt number (Sc) for various flow regimes such as:
or for natural convection:
The coefficients and exponents are determined experimentally.