Physical Chemistry for Engineers II Laboratory

Experiment 1: Adsorption Experiment

I. Introduction

II. Objectives:

The objectives of this experiment are as follows:

1. Determine the percent recovery of solute as a function of adsorbent to adsorbate ratio and
adsorbent particle size
2. Determine the equilibrium time as a function of adsorbent to adsorbate ratio and adsorbent particle
size
III. Materials Needed
1. Charcoal
2. Food color
3. Distilled water
4. Beakers
5. Graduated cylinders
6. Digital weighing scales
7. Syringe
8. Stirring rod
9. Stopwatch/timer

IV. Procedure
A. Density-concentration correlation
1. Prepare 0, 0.5%, 1.0%, 1.5%, 2%, 2.5% and 3% (weight basis) food color solution.
2. Determine the density of each solution.
3. Plot concentration as a function of density using Microsoft Excel.
4. Determine the best-fit equation for the data points.

B. Adsorbent preparation
1. Crush 1 kg of charcoal.
2. Stack the Tyler screens starting with Number 4 as the top layer followed with 3, 2 and 1.
3. Load the crushed charcoal into the Tyler Number 4. Shake rigorously.
4. Collect the particles at the Tyler Mesh 3, 2 and 1. Particle size found at Tyler Mesh 3 has a particle
size between the Tyler Mesh size 3 and 4 and so on and so forth.
5. Label the particle sizes of the samples.

C. Adsorption

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 Physical Chemistry for Engineers II Laboratory

1. Prepare a 3% w/w food color solution in a beaker.

2. Add the prescribe amount of charcoal to the solution.
3. Stir the solution continuously.
4. Withdraw 0.5 ml of solution every 3 minutes.
5. Determine the density of the solution.
6. Return the withdrawn solution into the beaker.
7. Repeat the process until the density of the solution remains constant over time.

V. Tables

Table 1: Concentration-Density Data

Concentration Density (g/ml)

(%w/w) Trial 1 Trial 2 Trial 3
0
0.5
1.0
1.5
2
2.5
3

Table 2: Equilibrium time and % Recovery as a function of Adsorbent to adsorbate ratio

Adsorbent to Equilibrium Time % Recovery of Solute

adsorbate ratio Trial 1 Trial 2 Trial 3 Trial 1 Trial 2 Trial 3
10:1
50:1
100:1
200:1

Table 3: Equilibrium time and % Recovery as a function of Particle size

Particle Size Equilibrium Time % Recovery of Solute

Trial 1 Trial 2 Trial 3 Trial 1 Trial 2 Trial 3
Tyler Mesh 1-2
Tyler Mesh 2-3
Tyler Mesh 3-4

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