Process / pipelineMass Transfer

Stefan-Maxwell Diffusion

The Stefan-Maxwell diffusion equation describes how multiple chemical species diffuse through each other in a mixture, accounting for interactions between all species pairs. Unlike Fick's law, which assumes species diffuse independently, Stefan-Maxwell theory captures the coupling that occurs when species with different diffusivities move at different rates. This is essential for analyzing gas separation, combustion, catalytic processes, and reactive distillation.

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Sources

  1. Reid, R. C., Prausnitz, J. M., & Poling, B. E. (1987). The Properties of Gases and Liquids (4th ed.). McGraw-Hill. ISBN: 978-0071247009
  2. Taylor, R., & Krishna, R. (1993). Multicomponent mass transfer. John Wiley & Sons. ISBN: 978-0471571032

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Referenced by

ScholarGateStefan-Maxwell Diffusion (Stefan-Maxwell Diffusion for Multicomponent Gas Mixtures). Retrieved 2026-06-04 from https://scholargate.app/en/thermodynamics/stefan-maxwell-diffusion