Preface

In recent years, our knowledge of mass transfer processes has been further extended and applied to various fields of science and engineering, including industrial and manufacturing processes. Since mass transfer is a primordial phenomenon, it plays a key role in scientific research in the fields of mechanical, energy, environmental, materials, bio, and chemical engineering. This book is comprised of selected advanced topics in mass transfer processes in those fields. This book covers both fundamental and applicational aspects of mass transfer in various developing sciences and technologies.

The 35 chapters of this book are divided into six sections. The first section, Chapters 1 - 6, focuses on advanced topics in scientific and theoretical aspects of mass transfer. Chapters 7 - 9 in the second section are devoted to mechanical engineering aspects. Advanced topics in energy and environmental engineering aspects of mass transfer are collected in the third section, containing Chapters 10 - 17. The fourth section, comprised of Chapters 18 - 23, introduces advances in materials engineering. The fifth section, Chapters 24 - 28 covers the advances in the field of bioengineering. The final section, with Chapters 29 - 35 deals with advanced topics regarding chemical engineering.

The authors show the advances in scientific findings and technologies, as well as develop new theoretical models concerning mass transfer. The editor would like to express his sincere gratitude to all authors for their contributions. This book provides valuable references for researchers and engineers who are working in a wide variety of mass transfer sciences and related fields in mechanical, energy, environmental, materials, bio, and chemical engineering. Since the the advances in broad research areas are covered, the topics will be mutually stimulus and informative to the researchers and engineers in different areas.

> **Hironori Nakajima**  Department of Mechanical Engineering Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan

**Part 1** 

**Advances in Scientific and** 

**Theoretical Modeling Aspects** 
