Mass Balance Calculator
Perform overall and component mass balances for a single-unit process with feed, product, waste, and recycle streams.
Inputs
Results
Waste Flow Rate
300 kg/hr
Conversion
86.67%
How to Use This Calculator
- Enter the Feed Rate in kg/hr and the Feed Concentration as a mass fraction of the key component.
- Enter the Product Flow Rate in kg/hr and the Product Concentration as a mass fraction — these define the desired output.
- Enter the Recycle Rate in kg/hr and Recycle Concentration if a recycle loop exists in the process. Set to 0 if there is no recycle.
- The calculator applies overall and component mass balances to determine the Waste Flow Rate and Waste Concentration.
- Review the Conversion % — the fraction of feed key component that ends up in the product versus waste.
- Check Overall Yield % to assess process efficiency and identify opportunities to reduce waste or improve separation.
How the result changes with Feed Rate
| Feed Rate | Waste Flow Rate | Conversion |
|---|---|---|
| 10,000 | 9,300 kg/hr | 8.67% |
| 35,000 | 34,300 kg/hr | 2.48% |
| 65,000 | 64,300 kg/hr | 1.33% |
| 90,000 | 89,300 kg/hr | 0.96% |
What each input means
- Feed Rate
- Mass flow rate of the fresh feed entering the process.
- Feed Concentration
- Mass fraction of the key component in the feed (0 to 1).
- Product Flow Rate
- Mass flow rate of the main product stream.
- Product Concentration
- Mass fraction of the key component in the product stream.
- Recycle Rate
- Mass flow rate of the recycle stream returning to the process.
- Recycle Concentration
- Mass fraction of the key component in the recycle stream.
How this is calculated
Worked example, using the default values
- Identify Input Parameters4 parametersFeed Rate = 1000, Feed Concentration = 0.3, Product Flow Rate = 800, Product Concentration = 0.35 = 6 input(s) provided
- Calculate Waste Flow RateWaste Flow Rate300 = 300
- Calculate ConversionConversion = Math86.67 = 86.67
- Calculate Waste ConcentrationWaste Concentration = Math0.1333 = 0.1333
- Calculate Overall YieldOverall Yield = Math93.33 = 93.33
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