Adsorption is one of the most difficult separation processes
to teach since it is rate-based, which requires a mass transfer
analysis, and is usually operated as a time dependent process. As a result, adsorption with very simple isotherms, such as an irreversible isotherm, has been analyzed in most separation texts.[3, 4] After we introduced the concept of adsorption isotherms and a breakthrough curve in fixed-bed adsorption, we used MATLAB to develop a numerical model for ratebased, time-dependent adsorption processes such as thermal swing adsorption. In thermal swing adsorption, one bed is adsorbing the solute at ambient temperature, while the oth