Adsorption Sample Problems

1. Determine the Freundlich and Langmuir isotherm constants for the following GAC adsorption test data. The liquid volume
used in the batch adsorption tests was 1 liter.
Mass of GAC in solution, m (g) Equilibrium concentration
of adsorbate in solution,
C (mg / L)
e

0.0 3.37

0.001 3.27

0.010 2.77

0.100 1.86

0.500 1.33

Derive the values needed to fit the adsorption isotherms

Co Ce x, mg m, g x/m Ce/ (x/m)
mg/mg

3.37 3.37 0 0.000 ___ ___

3.37 3.27 0.10 0.001 0.1000 32.7

3.37 2.77 0.60 0.010 0.0600 46.1667

3.37 1.86 1.51 0.100 0.0151 123.1778

3.37 1.33 2.04 0.500 0.0041 324.4

Plot the data

Determine the constants

(a) Freundlich: n = 0.2814; K = 0.001559
(b) Langmuir – the graph is curvilinear, so the use of this isotherm is inappropriate
2. Calculate the bed life, volume of water treated, minimum CUR and maximum specific throughput for trichloroethylene
(TCE) given the following design specifications:
Influent concentration = 1 mg / L
Carbon Type: Calgon Filtrasorb 400 (12 x 40 mesh) ; ρF = 450 g /L
Freundlich capacity factor K = 55.9 (mg/g)(L/mg)1/n
Freundlich intensity parameter 1/n = 0.48
Treatment objective = 0.005 mg / L TCE
Flow rate = 378.5 L / min
EBCT = 10 min

Determine the maximum specific throughput and the minimum CUR using data fitting the Freundlich isotherm
𝐶𝑖𝑛𝑓 1 𝑚𝑔/𝐿 𝑔 𝐺𝐴𝐶
min 𝐶𝑈𝑅 = = 0.48 = 0.11495
𝑞𝑒 𝑚𝑔 𝐿 𝐿 𝐻2𝑂 𝑡𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑑
55.9 ( 𝑔 ) (𝑚𝑔 ) (1 𝑚𝑔/𝐿)0.48
𝐿𝐻2𝑂 𝑡𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑑
max 𝑠𝑝𝑒𝑐𝑖𝑓𝑖𝑐 𝑡ℎ𝑟𝑜𝑢𝑔ℎ𝑝𝑢𝑡 = min 𝐶𝑈𝑅 −1 = 6.8985
𝑔 𝐺𝐴𝐶

Determine the volume treated with reference to EBCT

𝐿 𝑔
𝑚𝑎𝑠𝑠 𝐺𝐴𝐶 = 𝐸𝐵𝐶𝑇(𝑄)(𝜌𝐹 ) = 10 min (378.5 ) (450 ) = 1.7𝑥106 𝑔
𝑚𝑖𝑛 𝐿
𝑚𝑎𝑠𝑠 𝐺𝐴𝐶 1.7𝑥106 𝑔
𝑣𝑜𝑙 𝑡𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑑 = = = 1.175𝑥107 𝐿𝐻2𝑂 𝑡𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑑
𝐺𝐴𝐶 𝑢𝑠𝑎𝑔𝑒 𝑟𝑎𝑡𝑒 0.11495 𝑔/𝐿

Bed life for a given EBCT can be calculated

𝑣𝑜𝑙 𝑡𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑑 1.175 𝑥 107 𝐿
𝑏𝑒𝑑 𝑙𝑖𝑓𝑒 = = = 21.56 𝑑𝑎𝑦𝑠
𝑄 𝐿 𝑚𝑖𝑛
(378.5 𝑚𝑖𝑛) (1440 𝑑 )

*If given a breakthrough curve, height of the mass transfer zone (HMTZ) can be determined by
𝑽𝒆 − 𝑽𝒃
𝑯𝑴𝑻𝒁 = 𝒁
𝑽𝒆 − 𝟎. 𝟓(𝑽𝒆 − 𝑽𝒃 )
𝑍 = ℎ𝑒𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡 𝑜𝑓 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑎𝑑𝑠𝑜𝑟𝑝𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 𝑐𝑜𝑙𝑢𝑚𝑛
𝑉𝑒 = 𝑡ℎ𝑟𝑜𝑢𝑔ℎ𝑝𝑢𝑡 𝑣𝑜𝑙𝑢𝑚𝑒 𝑡𝑜 𝑒𝑥ℎ𝑎𝑢𝑠𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛
𝑉𝑏 = 𝑡ℎ𝑟𝑜𝑢𝑔ℎ𝑝𝑢𝑡 𝑣𝑜𝑙𝑢𝑚𝑒 𝑡𝑜 𝑏𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑘𝑡ℎ𝑟𝑜𝑢𝑔ℎ (𝑢𝑝𝑡𝑜 𝑡𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑡𝑚𝑒𝑛𝑡 𝑜𝑏𝑗𝑒𝑐𝑡𝑖𝑣𝑒)