Methodology Article
Case Exploration of Visualization of Diffusion Mass Transfer at Microscale — Teaching Innovation in Transport Processes
Guangzuo Jia
,
Bo Bao*
Issue:
Volume 15, Issue 4, August 2026
Pages:
133-139
Received:
24 June 2026
Accepted:
8 July 2026
Published:
24 July 2026
DOI:
10.11648/j.edu.20261504.11
Downloads:
Views:
Abstract: "Transport Processes" is a core yet challenging course in chemical engineering, with the primary difficulty lying in its heavy reliance on theoretical mathematical descriptions to elucidate the laws of momentum, heat, and mass transfer. Students often struggle to intuitively understand diffusion mass transfer phenomena at the microscale, leading to rote memorization without constructing a corresponding physical picture. To address this pedagogical challenge, we turn to actual microfluidic experiments rather than simulations or theoretical derivations, and propose two visualization-based teaching cases that enable in-situ observation of diffusion at the microscale. The first case utilizes the one-dimensional diffusion of fluorescent nanoparticles in a microchannel, while the second case involves the diffusion of nitrogen dioxide (NO2) gas into a hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) solution, combined with high-speed microscopic imaging and image analysis to determine the diffusion coefficient based on Fick's second law. Both cases transform the theoretical diffusion differential equations into intuitive, dynamic concentration distribution evolution images. Post-teaching questionnaire surveys indicate that 96.30% of the students greatly favored these visualization cases, and the 98.15% of students believed that it improved learning efficiency. More than 90% of the students considered the visualized cases relatively easy to understand. The survey results indicate that introducing microfluidic visualization technology into "Transport Processes" teaching effectively builds a cognitive bridge between mathematical formulations and physical reality, stimulates students' learning interest, reduces the difficulty of conceptual comprehension, and improves lecture atmosphere. This teaching innovation provides a novel perspective for the instruction of the mass transfer module within the "Transport Processes" course.
Abstract: "Transport Processes" is a core yet challenging course in chemical engineering, with the primary difficulty lying in its heavy reliance on theoretical mathematical descriptions to elucidate the laws of momentum, heat, and mass transfer. Students often struggle to intuitively understand diffusion mass transfer phenomena at the microscale, leading to...
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