TOPIC 4: Adsorption, Ion-Exchange; Fixed bed absorbers, breakthrough.

1 MARK

Which of the following forces is involved in physical adsorption?

Van der Waals force

Which of can result in a transition from physisorption to chemisorption?

Increase in temperature

Ion-free water coming out from the exchanger is known as ____________

Demineralised water

The exhausted anion exchange column is regenerated by passing a solution of ____________

Dil. NaOH

When the B.E.T. theory was proposed?

1938

The B.E.T. theory was based on what ?

Multilayer adsorption

According to the B.E.T. equation, what will the plot of P/V(P0-P) versus P/P0 yield?

Straight line
The surface area available for the nth layer is equal to the coverage of which of the following
layer?

(n-1)th layer

Which of the following is the total surface area that is covered by all the molecules of the
adsorbed gas?

S = nβ/NA

5 MARK

Describe various types of adsorption isotherms.

Derive Langmuir adsorption isotherm.

Name different types of Ion Exchange Resins.

State characteristics of a good adsorbent.

15 MARKS

Adsorption equilibrium data for the decolorization of a sample of waste oil using a special type
of clay collected from a set of laboratory experiments could be fitted by a Henry's law type
relation – Y = 4.2 * 10-4 X*, where Y= number of color units per kg oil, and X* = number of
color units per kg clay in equilibrium. 1000 Kg of a waste oil having an initial color
concentration of 50 units has to be treated to reduce the concentration to 1 color unit . The
adsorbent has an effective surface area of 25 m*m/g, and the surface mass transfer coefficient is
KL =5.2 * 10-6 m/s (on the solid phase concentration basis). The density of the oil is 950 kg/m3.

a) Calculate the minimum quantity of adsorbent required.

b) What is the required contact time if 1.2 times the minimum amount of adsorbent Is used?
Vinyl chloride is a bulk organic chemical required for the production of polyvinyl chloride
(PVC), a widely used polymer. Since vinyl chloride is a toxic and carcinogenic volatile organic
compound (VOC), it must be removed from any waste gas stream containing this compound.
Adsorption in a packed bed of activated carbon is a practical method of its removal from an
emission. The following experimental breakthrough data for adsorption of vinyl chloride on
granular activated carbon (GAC) at 20∘ C and essentially atmospheric pressure wern aisan hal....
Lctais v wic experimental parameters are: bed length, L=15.2 cm, bed diameter, ⋅d=2.3 cm, gas
flow arte 80 cm3 /s at 1 atm and 20 C, bed porosity, 0.36 , interstitial gas velocity 0.54 m/s, vinyl
chloride concentration in the feed 190ppm (by volume), yi is mole fraction of solute in feed gas
and y is that in the effluent. a) Calculate the length of the mass transfer zone, the velocity of the
stoichiometric front and the saturation capacity of the bed at the influent gas concentration. b) A
waste gas stream containing 190ppm (volume) vinyl chloride is to be treated with activated
carbon in a packed bed reactor at a rate of 20 m3 /min to reduce its concentration by 98%. Using
the above breakthrough data, determine the bed diameter, height and pressure drop if an
adsorption period of 10 h is allowed.
The following data on adsorption of pure propane on Columbia grade L activated carbon at
different temperatures and pressures are given where p= pressure of propane (kPa); q= amount
of propane adsorbed at equilibrium (millimol/g carbon). (a) Draw the adsorption isotherms ( q
vs. p ) at the above four temperatures. (b) Test the applicability of the Langmuir and the
Freundlich isotherms for the given data.
The following data have been collected on equilibrium adsorption of nitrogen on an oxidation
catalyst at 77.4 K, the normal boiling point of nitrogen. Determine the specific surface area of
the catalyst by BET. At T=77.4 K, the vapor pressure =760mmHg, density for liquid nitrogen
=0.0808 g/cm3.