MODERN SEPARATION

PROCESSES
Unit III – Separation by Adsorption
 Factors affecting Separation
• Size : Filtration- Filtration, Microfiltration,
ultrafiltration

• Diffusivity: Dialysis
• Ionic strength : Ion-Exchange
• Vapor pressure/ temperature: Distillation,
freeze concentration
• Solubility: Solvent extraction
• Surface activity: Foam separation
• Density: Gravity settling
 Classification-
Mechanism of Separation

• Separation by phase creation -ESA

• Separation by phase addition -MSA
• Separation by barrier
• Separation by solid agent
• Separation by force field or gradient
 Adsorption

• Fluid-Solid Systems:
Adsorption (G/L -> S)-
Desorption (S -> G)
 Other separation Methods
• Ion-Exchange
• Chromatography
 Definitions
• Adsorption- phenomenon of the enrichment
(concentration) of chemical substances at the
surface of a solid.
• It is the selective collection and concentration of
a particular type of molecules from a fluid phase.
• The 2 phases that are in contact are: Fluid and
solid.
• It involves 2 steps:
• (i) Transfer of solute(s) from fluid mixture which
gets adsorbed on solid.
• (ii)Adsorbed solute is removed from the solid.
• Example: Decolorization of sugar solution by
adsorption of pigments on activated carbon.
 Definitions (cont’d)
• Adsorbent: Substance on whose
surface adsorption takes place. (Eg.:
activated carbon)
• Adsorbate: Substance which is
adsorbed (Eg. Pigments or colorants
of sugar solution).
 Applications
1 Separation Gases from gas Removal of toxic or odoriferous
gases from waste gases for air
mixtures pollution control.
of
Deodorization of air.

2 Vapors from Vapor-gas Dehumidification of air & other

gases; Recovery of valuable solvent
mixtures vapors from effluent gases or air.

Removal of moisture from gasoline;

3 Solute from liquid Decolorization of sugar solutions, vegetable
oils & petroleum products;
solutions Removal of objectionable taste, odor &
color from municipal water supplies

4 Removal of Demineralization of water by ion

Ions from solutions exchange

Components by selective Separation of light hydrocarbon gases

5 Fraction- adsorption of gases from gas
mixtures, vapors from vapor-gas
ation of mixtures, liquids from liquid
solutions
(methane, ethane and ethylene) from
mixtures of aromatic and paraffinic
hydrocarbons
Odor removal from municipal illuminating
gas supplies
Clarification of beverages
 Adsorbents
(i) Activated carbon
(ii) Activated Alumina
(iii) Activated Clay
(iv) Silica gel
(v) Molecular sieves (Zeolites)
(vi) Natural clay –Fullers earth
Common adsorbents:
(vii) Bone char
 Adsorbents-Applications
Adsorbent Action System
Decolorizing Solutions of sugar, drugs,
Activated carbon chemicals, water etc.-by
decolorizing carbon
Recovery of solvent vapors From gas mixtures- by Gas

adsorbent Carbon
Gas masks

Decolorizing Petroleum products

Activated Clays
Dehydration Air & other gases
Silica gel
Molecular sieves Dehydration Gases & Liquids
Separation Gas & Liquid hydrocarbon
mixtures
Decolorizing Lube oils, kerosene, gasoline &
Fullers earth vegetable oils
Refining Sugar
Bone char
 Adsorption Mechanism
• surface phenomena
• pore walls or at specific sites.
• In due course of time, adsorption capacity
is exhausted. Then the adsorbate has to
be removed.
• Removal of adsorbate can be done by:
Desorption &
Displacement Regeneration
Combustion Reactivation
Mono-& Multilayer Adsorption &
Capillary Condensation
 Types of Adsorption
• Physical Adsorption
• Chemical Adsorption-Chemisorption.
 Physical Adsorption
• Result of intermolecular force of attraction
between the molecules of adsorbent and
adsorbate.
• Adsorbate merely condenses as a thin
layer on the adsorbent surface.
• Intermolecular attractive forces are purely
physical-weak Van der Waals forces. -
adsorbate is loosely bound to the surface
of the adsorbent.
 Chemisorption
• Adsorbate molecules are retained on
the surface by chemical bonding.
• Adhesive forces are much greater
than that in physical adsorption.
• In many cases, it is irreversible.
• It is of great importance in catalysis.
 Physical Adsorption vs Chemisorption
Criterion
Attractive forces
Reversibility
Heat of adsorption
Specifity
Surface coverage
Quantity adsorbed per unit mass
of adsorbent
Activation energy
Adsorption rate vs T
Rate of adsorption
Adsorption vs partial
pressure
Physical Adsorption Chemisorption
Van der Waals
Reversible
Small; of the order of
Heat of condensation
Nonspecific in nature.
Entire surface is available
Complete; can be
extended for multilayers
High
Low and negligible
Rapid at low temp; decr
with incr in T
resistance to mass tr
directly prop to p.prs
Chemical bonding
Frequently irreversible
Large; of the order of
Heat of reaction
Highly specific in nature;
restricted to active sites on surf
Incomplete; limited
unimolecular layer
Low
High
Rate is prop to T
by surface reaction
Large even at low p.p
 Characteristics of Adsorption
by Solids
• Amount of substance adsorbed per unit mass of the
adsorbent depends on:
(i) the equilibrium concentration or pressure of the adsorbate and the
temperature
(ii) chemical nature of both the adsorbent & adsorbate and their
physical state.
For physical adsorption, more easilyliquefiable is the gas, more readily it will be
adsorbed.
(iii) specific surface area of the adsorbent; the larger the surface area,
greater is the Adsorption.
• Adsorption can be highly selective.
Eg. Activated carbon will adsorb butanes (butane 1 & 2) preferentially from a mixture
Containing xylenes and butanes.

• Adsorption is generally reversible

Types of Adsorption Isotherms
Adsorption Isotherms (cont’d)
Idealized Breakthrough Curve