Equilibrium, kinetic and thermodynamic studies for dynamic adsorption of benzene in gas phase onto activated carbon produced from elaeagnus angustifolia seeds

Abstract

Adsorption of pollutants onto activated carbon is very important in air purification systems. In this study, the dynamic adsorption of benzene in gas phase onto activated carbon which was produced from the elaeagnus angustifolia seeds, was investigated using a laboratory-scale continuous flow fixed-bed reactor system, under atmospheric pressure. The effects of the adsorption conditions such as activated carbon particle size (180–500 μm), nitrogen (N2) gas flow rate (0.050–0.120 L min−1) as the benzene in gas phase carrier, amount of activated carbon (0.10–0.75 g), concentration of benzene in gas phase at the inlet (9.95–14.85 ppm) and the adsorption temperature (293–323 K) on both the adsorption capacity and the adsorption efficiency were examined. Adsorption efficiency was achieved up to 100% under various adsorption conditions. Adsorption kinetics data were analyzed by using the Pseudo-First Order and Pseudo-Second Order kinetic models. Langmuir, Freundlich and Dubinin-Radushkevich models were used for the analysis of adsorption isotherms. The results showed that the Langmuir isotherm and Pseudo-Second Order models described the experimental data better when compared to other models. The maximum monolayer adsorption capacity (qmax) of activated carbon was determined to be 99.8 mg g−1 for 303 K. Thermodynamic analyzes indicated that the adsorption process of benzene in gas phase onto activated carbon was spontaneous (ΔG°<0), exothermic (ΔH°<0) and physical (ΔH°<20 kJ mol−1).