ACTIVATED CARBON

ADSORPTION
ISOTHERM &
KINETICS

(OPEN-ENDED LAB)
 SEPARATION PROCESS II

ACTIVATED CARBON ADSORPTIO N, ISOTHERMS, KINETICS & CONTINUOUS-FLOW OPERATION

1.0 Introduction
Adsorption is a unit operation in which surface-active materials in true solution are removed from the solvent
by inter-phase transfer to the surfaces of an adsorbent particle. This process is used in environmental
engineering practice for removal of various pollutants such as soluble organics, dyes, pesticides, lignin, etc.,
from wastewaters and for removal of colour and taste and odour-producing substances from natural waters
that are to be used as potable water supplies.

Activated carbon in very fine powder or granular form is useful to purify both water and air. It is an extremely
porous material with high ratios of surface area to unit weight up to 100 acres per pound. Activated carbon
has particular affinity to organic materials such as solvents used in printing inks and common coatings. When
the carbon particle becomes saturated with the contaminant, the exit stream will evidence a "breakthrough"
of that contaminant, at which time the canister will be replaced and/or reactivated (usually by heat).

The objective of this experiment is yo investigate the adsorption properties of activated carbon by studying the
equilibrium isotherms, adsorption kinetics and operational characteristics of a lab-scale packed-bed reactor.

2.0 Experiment
A locally based textile company has recently fined by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment
Malaysia due to over discharge of methylene blue to the water bodies and resulted to serious water pollution.
The discharge range of methylene blue by the company was 5-30 mg/L.

As a junior engineer in the company, you and your team members are assigned overcome this problem by
understanding the fundamental behavior of adsorption using activated carbon.

Task A:

a) Design proper experimental procedures to achieve objective in part (b) and to attain at least 70 %
removal efficiency of methylene blue by using activated carbon.
b) Determine the best fit of adsorption isotherm (Langmuir or Freundlich) and its respective isotherm
constant(s).
c) Based on the result in part (a) and (b), discuss and justify your answer.