Experiment

Carbon Absorption
Report BY Chintankumar Patel
Chemical Engineering 2
Summer 2016

Introduction
The Experiment of carbon absorption was conducted at Mohawk
College in Room E030 in Hamilton, Ontario. The experiment was
performed to make a proper model of absorption of methyl blue
which is absorbed by a carbon filter. The purpose of the
experiment was to calculate the concentration of methylene blue
solution which was run through a carbon filter and then system
worked in such a manner then the solution was flowed through
and active charcoal filter and then filtrate was added back into
the original tank. It was expected that as the concentration of
methylene blue solution will decrease over time in the tank and
the concentration of methylene blue solution will stay the same
from the filtrate added back in the tank. When the experiment
was run over 30 minutes the results were appearing similar to the
predictions made before the start as the time went on the
concentration lowered in the tank and the colour of the solution
was turning lighter and lighter. Also the concentration of the
filtrate was similar. We also prepared 2, 5 and 10 ppm methylene
blue solution for the reading to help with the calculations.

DATA TABLES:
1. Calibration Standards:
Concentration(ppm)

% Transmittance

Absorbance

100

58.4

0.233

36.3

0.44

10

5.8

1.236

2. %T and the absorbance recorded for both Effluent and Tank

Efflue
nt
Time(min)

Effluent

Effluent
Concentration

Tank

Tank

%T

Abs

Tank

%T

Abs

Concentration

35.9

0.445

3.32

3.2

1.45

11.5

40.7

0.390

2.87

1.40

11.1

42.7

0.370

2.70

5.5

1.26

10.0

45

0.350

2.54

9.1

1.04

8.21

10

50.6

0.30

2.13

16.8

0.77

6.00

15

56.3

0.250

1.72

26.4

0.58

4.43

20

57.4

0.241

1.65

32.8

0.48

3.60

25

57.9

0.237

1.61

41.8

0.38

2.80

30

60.1

0.221

1.48

47.8

0.32

2.30

Graph:
1. Calibration Curve:

Calibration Curve for Given Standards

1.4
1.2
1
0.8
ABSORBANCE

f(x) = 0.12x - 0.04

R = 0.97

0.6
0.4
0.2
0
0

10

12

cONCENTRATION(ppm)

2. Concentration of Methylene blue of effluent and tank

over time

Concentration of Effulent & Tank over Time

14
12
10
8
Concentration

6
4
2
0
0

10

15

20

25

Time (min)
Concentration(Effulent)

Concentration(Tank

30

35

DISCUSSION:
The data collected from the experiment was analyzed and
comparing the concentration of methylene blue from the tank
versus the concentration of methylene blue coming out of the
filtrate. As seen in the second graph you can see that as time
goes on there is a decrease in the concentration in the tank but
the concentration is fairly similar as the time goes on which can
show that the carbon filter was filtering at a constant rate through
the whole experiment. But it was also noticed that the filtrate was
not pure water as there was some parts of methylene blue in it
which needs further investigation and research to see if there was
a brand new filter used then what the concentration of filtrate
would be or if the carbon filter is just not the best way to filter out
methylene blue from water. Such filters are used mainly in
Pharmaceuticals industry and food. Because Activated carbon is
said the be the most effective filters to filter out organic materials
and other kind of materials. It is also used in air respirators many
times in the portable air respirator masks.