The effectiveness of adsorption

In reply to the question about the types of compounds that can be adsorbed by activated carbon, one can answer that the adsorbable compounds include: organic compounds as well as some larger types of compounds and inorganic particles, such as iodine or mercury. Generally, it can be assumed that 90% of organic compounds can be adsorbed by activated carbon, whereas only 10% can be considered poorly adsorbable or not adsorbable at all. However, not all types of compounds, are adsorbed with the same effectiveness; the course of the process of adsorption depends on many factors.

The most important of them include:

• the nature and type of removed compounds – a greater molecular weight of the compounds has a positive impact on their adsorption level, as does a lower saturation steam pressure and higher boiling point
• type of activated carbon used – matching size and diameter of the pores to the removed compounds, increases the efficiency of the process
• concentration of the removed compounds – the ability to adsorb increases with concentration
• humidity – in most cases, growth in humidity significantly reduces the effectiveness of the process of adsorption
• pressure – pressure increase raises the capacity of adsorption
• temperature – the effectiveness of adsorption lowers along with the growth in temperature
• the presence of other compounds – particular components of the mixture compete for a place in the pores of activated carbon
• duration of contact – recommended duration of contact between the carbon and the purified medium differs for particular processes

A sample adsorption isotherm used in the process of removing COD from industrial sewage. The chart shows differences in the efficacy, depending on the type of activated carbon used in the process.

The ability to use the aforementioned principles together with specialized knowledge concerning the product are the key to the right selection of an appropriate solution based on activated carbon. Based on their experience, ACES Sp. z o.o. team shall make every effort in order to make sure that the proposed activated carbons prove to be the most effective. In order to obtain the answers to any of your additional questions you are welcome to visit the Contact section

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