Mass Balances for Chemical Engineers: Process Analysis and Process Design (De Gruyter Textbook)

The fundamentals of mass balances, relevant for chemical engineers summarized in an easy comprehensible manner. Plenty of examples, schemes and flow diagrams facilitate understanding. The book proposes an original methodology based on the intensive application of the spreadsheet. This approach introduces the concept of "simulation" which allows to determine the effect of operating parameters on individual units but also on entire processes. Case studies from relevant topics such as sustainable chemistry illustrate the theory behind current applications.

New in the Second Edition:

Extending the application of mass balances to the circular economy - a new topic is introduced with the calculation of the Material Circularity Indicator (MCI), one of the most widespread in industry, which is also included in the standard ISO 59020 published in 2024.

Aspects related to the potential use of Artificial Intelligence in data search and critical analysis of the results obtained in mass balances have been introduced. Its use in the design of Excel functions and applications is also presented in an appendix. Finally, it should be noted that both the number of solved examples and proposed practical cases have increased by 25%.

Gumersindo Feijoo studied chemistry in Spain and obtained his Ph.D. at the Department of Chemical Engineering. University of Santiago de Compostela, Galicia, Spain in 1994. He was performing postdoctoral studies in The Netherlands and USA. After working as associate professor he became full Professor at the Department of Chemical Engineering at the University of Santiago de Compostela in 2008.

Juan M. Lema, Emeritus Professor of Chemical Engineering at the University of Santiago de Compostela (Spain). He has been Head of the Department of Chemical Engineering at the Autonomous University of Barcelona (UAB) (1981-83) and Santiago de Compostela (USC) (1991-2000); Promotor and first Director of the Technological Transfer Centre (USC) (1989-1990); Promotor and first Head of Environmental Engineering (2001-2003); Promotor and first Dean of School of Engineering USC (2003-2010), Promotor and first Head of the Spanish Conference of Chemical Engineering Deans (CODDIQ) (2008-2012) and promotor and first Head of CRETUS (Centre of Cross-disciplinary Research in Environmental Technologies) (2015-2020). He is an Academic (2016 - ) and President (2019 -) of The Royal Galician Academy of Sciences. Supervisor of 61 Ph.D. Theses; Author of more than 450 papers and book chapters (H index: 72 (Scopus) and an FWCI 1,47 (period 2015-21). More than 19,000 citations. Since 2020 ranked among the top 2% of highest impact worldwide at the list from Stanford University. He is the author or co-author of 20 patents (9 European or International). Ranked amongst the 2% highest impact researchers worldwide in Biotechnology (2020). Editor of the book: “Innovative Wastewater Treatment & Resource Recovery Technologies,” published by IWA (2017). He has coordinated or participated in 71 research projects founded by the European Union (24), the Spanish Commission of Science and Technology (34), and the Galician Regional Government (13). He has been the Coordinator of the COST Action ”Conceiving Wastewater treatment in 2020” (Water 2020) and the Coordinator of the Spanish project Novedar_Consolider, with 12 research groups from Spain and The Netherlands. Sixteen relevant research projects with companies treating industrial and municipal wastewater. Expert of UNIDO (United Nations for Industrial Development Organisation), Vienna, in the “Treatment of Industrial Effluents.” In total, more than 17 MM€ raised for research.

Maria Teresa Moreira is a Full Professor in Chemical Engineering and currently works at the Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Santiago de Compostela. Maria does research in Chemical Engineering, Ecological Engineering and Environmental Engineering. She is Executive Editor of JCLEPRO.