Analytical treatment of MHD free convective flow and mass transfer over a stretching sheet with chemical reaction

Homtopy analysis method (HAM) is employed to investigate the effect of chemical reaction on free convective flow and mass transfer of a viscous, incompressible and electrically conducting fluid over a stretching surface in the presence of a constant transverse magnetic field. Analytical results are presented for gases with a Prandtl number of 0.71 for various values of chemical reaction parameter, order of reaction, magnetic parameter and Schmidt number. From this investigation it is obtained that velocity, temperature and concentration have direct relation with chemical reaction parameter, gamma. Magnetic parameter has direct relation with temperature and concentration, but results of velocity profile are inverse. Schmidt number increment also increases temperature boundary layer and decreases velocity and concentration profiles. (C) 2009 Taiwan Institute of Chemical Engineers. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.