Modeling of activated carbon and coal gasification char absorbents in single-solute and bisolute systems

Thacker, William E.; Snoeyink, Vernon L.; Crittenden, John C.

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https://hdl.handle.net/2142/89987 Copy

Description

Title

Modeling of activated carbon and coal gasification char absorbents in single-solute and bisolute systems

Author(s)

• Thacker, William E.
• Snoeyink, Vernon L.
• Crittenden, John C.

Contributor(s)

• University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
• Michigan Technological University

Issue Date

1981-07

Keyword(s)

• Water resources development
• Water resources development--Illinois
• Drinking water treatment
• Activated carbon
• Adsorption
• Desorption
• Competitive adsorption

Geographic Coverage

Illinois (state)

Abstract

A mathematical model of fixed-bed adsorption was used to predict the bed response to a sustained step change in influent concentration. The model was employed to compare the performance of different adsorbents in the removal of organics from water and to analyze factors that affect desorption owing to a decrease in influent concentration and to competitive adsorption. Model equations, which considered that film transfer and surface diffusion controlled the adsorption rate, were solved with the technique of orthogonal collocation. Three species, 3,5-dimethylphenol (DMP), 3,5-dichlorophenol (DCP) and rhodamine 6G (R6G), were the single solutes studied, and the two phenols were also examined as a mixture. Four activated carbons and a coal gasification char were the adsorbents studied. The model was used to compare the adsorbents in the removal of DMP, R6G and the bisolute mixtures and equilibrium capacity was found to have a greater influence than kinetics on fixed-bed performance. It was observed that, under conditions approximating a drinking water plant, the time during which the effluent concentration of a desorbed species was higher than the influent concentration was significant (on the order of weeks) whether a reduced influent concentration or competition was responsible for the desorption.

Publisher

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Water Resources Center

Type of Resource

text

Permalink

http://hdl.handle.net/2142/89987

Sponsor(s)/Grant Number(s)

• U.S. Department of the Interior
• U.S. Geological Survey

Copyright and License Information

Copyright 1981 held by William E. Thacker, Vernon L. Snoeyink, John C. Crittenden

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