Adsorption

Adsorption

Adsorption is a process that occurs when a

gas or liquid solute accumulates on the
surface of a solid or a liquid (adsorbent),
forming a molecular or atomic film
(adsorbate)

ADSORBENT ADSORBATE SOLUTION

Adsorption
• Consequence of surface energy
• Atoms on the surface experience a bond
deficiency, because they are not wholly
surrounded by other atoms
 Types of Adsorption
Properties Physisorption Chemisorption
Bonding Weak, long range, Van Strong, short range,
der Waals interactions Chemical bonding
(London dispersion, involving orbital overlap
dipole-dipole) and charge transfer
Enthalpy 5-50 kJ/mol 40-800 kJ/mol
Saturation Multi-layer Mono-layer
Surface specificity No Yes
Nature Reversible Mostly irreversible
Adsorption Isotherms
• Plot of the amount of adsorbate on the adsorbent as a function of its
pressure (if gas) or concentration (if liquid) at constant temperature.
• Langmuir isotherm (adsorbed layer one molecule thick)
• Freundlich isotherm (Heterogeneous adsorbent surface with different
adsorption sites)
• Brunauer, Emmett and Teller (BET) isotherm (molecules can be
adsorbed more than one layer thick)
Langmuir Isotherm
• Irving Langmuir (1916)
• Assumptions:
Uniformity of sites Non interaction
Common Mechanism Monolayer only
• Semi-Empirical Formula:
Freundlich Isotherm
• Freundlich and Küster (1909)
• Empirical formula:

• Limitation: Fails at high pressures

Q- Mass of adsorbate / mass of adsorbent

p- equilibrium pressure of adsorbate
c- equilibrium con. Of adsorbate in solution
K,n- constants
BET Isotherm

• Stephen Brunauer, Paul Hugh Emmett

and Edward Teller (1938)
• Assumptions:
Multilayer No Transmigration
Equal Energy Langmuir to each layer
Applications
• Activated Carbon
Hydrophobic Surface area-500m2/g
Waste water treatment
Decontaminant in pharmacy

• Silica Gel and Zeolites

Hydrophilic Polar
Drying of process air
CO2 and Hydrocarbon removal from natural gas
Vapor Adsorption Refrigeration

• Protein Adsorption on biomaterials(cells)

Question 1:
An adsorption study is set up in a laboratory by adding a known
amount of activated carbon to six flasks which contain 200 mL of an
industrial waste. An additional flask containing 200 mL of waste but no
carbon is run as a blank. Plot the Langmuir isotherm and determine the
values of the constants.
Flask No. Mass of C (mg) Volume in Flask (mL) Final COD (mg C/L)
1 804 200 4.7
2 668 200 7.0
3 512 200 9.31
4 393 200 16.6
5 313 200 32.5
6 238 200 62.8
7 0 200 250
Question 2:
Calculate the amount of adsorption using Freundlich isotherm of the
solute on activated charcoal in which the Slope value n = 0.2 and the
distribution coefficient is k = 0.19. The equilibrium concentration of the
adsorptive is 0.12.

Given: n = 0.2, k = 0.19, C = 0.12

q = kC^(1/n)
= (0.19)(0.12)^(1/0.2)
q = 4.7 x 10-6
Question 3:
The adsorption of a gas is described by Langmuir adsorption isitherm.
Calculate the pressure at which the fractional coverage is
(a) 0.1

(b) 0.5 and

(c) 0.95
Given,
k1=0.9 /kPa at 27oC
.Solution:
We know that, θ=k1p/1+k1p⇒p=(θ/1−θ)1/k1
Therefore,
(a) p=0.1/0.9×1/0.9=0.123 kPa
(b) p=0.5/0.5×1/0.9=1.11 kPa
(c) p=(0.1/0.05)×1/0.9=21.11 kPa
Question 4:
In a solution of 100 mL of 0.5 M acetic acid, 1 g of active charcoal
is added, which absorbs acetic acid. It is found that the
concentration of acetic acid becomes 0.49M. If surface area of
charcoal is 3.01×102 m2, calculate the area occupied by single
acetic acid molecule on the surface of charcoal.
Solution:
The number of moles of acetic acid in 100 mL (before adding
charcoal) = (0.5 mol/L)(0.1L) = 0.05 mol.

The number of moles of acetic acid in 100 mL (after adding

charcoal) = (0.49 mol/L)(0.1 L) = 0.049 mol.
Question 4:
The number of moles of acetic acid adsorbed on the surface of
charcoal =0.05−0.049=0.001 mol.
The number of molecules of acetic acid adsorbed on the surface
of charcoal.
=0.001mol×6.02×1023molecules/mol=6.02×1020 molecules

Given that the surface area of charcoal, =3.01×102 m2

So the area occupied by single acetic acid molecule on the

surface of charcoal is
3.01×102/6.02×1020=5×10−19 m2
Question 5:
In Langmuir’s model of adsorption of a gas on a solid surface

a. The rate of dissociation of adsorbed molecules from the surface does

not depend on the surface covered.
b. The adsorption at a single site on the surface may involve multiple
molecules at the same time.
c. The mass of gas striking a given area of surface is proportional to
the pressure of the gas.
d. The mass of a gas striking a given area of surface is independent of
the pressure of the gas.
Question 6:
Which of the following is less than zero during adsorption?
a. ∆G
b. ∆S
c. ∆H
d. ∆H and ∆S
Question 7
Question 8:
Identify the gas which is readily adsorbed by activated carbon

a. H2
b. N2
c. SO2
d. O2
Question 9:
Which is not the correct statement in respect of chemisorption?

a. Highly specific adsorption

b. Irreversible adsorption
c. Multilayered adsorption
d. High enthalpy of adsorption
Question 10:
Rate of physisorption increase with

a. Decrease in temperature
b. Increase in temperature
c. Decrease in pressure
d. Decrease in surface area