Abstract

The software Algor Windows has been applied to the extraction process of clove oil to determine the mass diffusion coefficient in the extraction column. An analogy between heat transfer problems, for which Algor is designed, and mass transfer, which is required to determine the diffusion coefficient, has been done to associate the different variables involved in the balance equations. Properties required for the simulation, such as the concentration as a function of position in the column, has been obtained from the literature (Zapata, 1998) and reasonable assumptions have been introduce to formulate the model and the required initial and boundary conditions. The study shows that the program Algor, although designed for other purposes, can be used in the field of mass transfer, such as the extraction of clove oil at high pressure.