ENVE 303

UNIT OPERATIONS AND PROCESSES OF

WATER TREATMENT

ADSORPTION
Sorption – Two kinds of processes
• Adsorption: Chemicals adhere to surface of
solid (London-van der Waals forces bind the
adsorbing molecule to the solid substrate).

• Absorption: Chemicals penetrate into solid,

forming solid solution (Occurs when covalent or
ionic bonds are formed
between the adsorbing
molecules and the solid
substrate).
Sorption – Two kinds of processes
• Adsorption involves the interphase accumulation
or concentration of substances at a surface or
interface.
• Absorption is a process in which the molecules or
atoms of one phase interpenetrate nearly uniformly
among those of another phase to form a solution
with the second phase.
Adsorption processes: Applications
Purifications: Separations:
- Removal of organics from
- N2/O2
vent gases
gas phase

- Acetone from vent stream

- SO2 from vent gases
- C2H4 from vent
- H2O from air, methane, N2
- Normal paraffins/ Iso praffins
- Removal of solvent, odours
from air - CO, CH4, CO2, N2, Ar from
hydrogen

- NOx from N2
- Normal paraffins from Iso paraffins
liquid phase

- Organics from water solution

- Normal paraffins from olefins
- Water from organic solution

- Decolourization
Adsorption
• Collecting soluble substances (adsorbate) on a
suitable surface (adsorbent) by physical bonding
(electrostatic forces + van der waals forces)
– i.e. mass transfer of chemicals in liquid phase onto solid
phase

Adsorbent Adsorbate in liquid phase

(porous structure)
Adsorbates
Particularly, non-polar compounds with more than four
carbon atoms such as PCBs, aromatics, ethers,
ketones, pesticides, protein amines, taste and odor
causing substances

Adsorbent Adsorbate in liquid phase

(porous structure)
Adsorbents
• Natural or synthetic
• Amorphous or microcrystalline structure
• Very high specific surface area

• Examples:
• Charcoal
• Kaolin
• Bentonite
• Activated carbon
• Silica gel
• Activated alumina
• Zeolite (molecular sieves)
 Adsorbents
Activated Carbon (AC)
- amorphous
- hydrophobic
- organic trace removals
- air filters
 Adsorbents
• High surface area 500-1600 m2/g
• Pore volume up to 0.95 cc/g
• Granular activated carbon (GAC)
grain size: 0.6-0.9 mm
• Powdered activated carbon
(PAC) grain size: 5-100 um

May be added to biological treatment or

water treatment operations
Adsorbents

Powdered AC
Granuler AC
Pelleted AC
 Adsorbents

Carbon Surface and Pores magnification increases left to right

 Adsorbents
• Typical AC dose < 25-50 mg/L
• Useful life of a GAC bed is nearly few months to
several years

Particle diameter Pore volume

PAC <200 mesh 0.85-0.95 mL/g

GAC >0.1 mm 2.2-2.5 mL/g
 Adsorbents
Mean Pore
Total Pore Surface Area
Carbon Type Radius in
Volume (ml/g) (m2/g)
Angstrom
Gas Phase
Coconut Shell 0.5-0.6 10-11 1000-1100
Peat 0.6-0.7 11-12 1000-1275
Bituminous Coal 0.6-0.7 12-14 1000-1150
Liquid Phase
Bituminous Coal 0.7-0.8 14-16 900-1050
Lignite Coal 0.9-1.0 29-32 600-675
Peat 1.1-1.2 23-26 900-1050
Wood (Chemically
1.4-1.8 22-26 1200-1600
activated)
Activated Carbon Production
• AC can be made from wide variety of materials
such as coal, wood, nut shells and pulping waste.
• AC made from wood is called charcoal.

Dehydration&
Carbonization Activation
Coal or wood, heat High T
Nut shells Char AC (nonpolar)
Coconut husks Hydrocarbons w/air Oxidizing gas
(steam+air+CO2)
 Activated Carbon Production
Dehydration&
Carbonization Activation
Coal or wood, heat High T
Nut shells Char AC (nonpolar)
Coconut husks Hydrocarbons w/air Oxidizing gas
(steam+air+CO2)

• Dehydration (T=170 oC): Heating to remove excess water. Sometimes

zinc chloride and phosphoric acid may be used in addition to heat as
dehydrating agent.

• Carbonization (T= 400-600 oC): In the absence of air, this treatment

drives off impurities such as tars and methanol. The escape of these
materials causes the pores form.

• Activation (T=750-950 oC): Treating the tar with the mixture of steam,
air, heat and CO2 to burn off the amorphous residues (tars). The pores
are enlarged and cleaned.
Carbon regeneration
• For GAC not PAC
• Regeneration: The processes used to recover the
adsorptive capacity of the spent carbon.
– Chemicals to oxidize the adsorbed material
– Steam to drive of the adsorbed material
– Solvents
– Biological conversion processes

• 4-10 % loss in the capacity in the regeneration

process
 Adsorption
Adsorption

Physisorption Chemisorption
 Reversible  Chemical bonding
 Arises from three types of forces: between the surface
1) van der Waals forces and the adsorbate
2) electrostatic forces : if an adsorbate and  Covalent bonding
adsorbent have opposite charge
attraction
3) hydrophobic forces : a nonpolar
adsorbent will preferentially adsorb the
more nonpolar component of a polar
solution.
Adsorption Mechanism
Adsorption Mechanism

Pore volume
available to both
adsorbates and
solvent

Pore volume
available only to
solvent and
smaller
adsorbate
molecules

Porosity
available only
to solvent.
Pore size too
small for
adsorption of
impurities from
liquids
Adsorption Mechanism
Mechanisms of selectivity

* one component exhibits stronger

interaction with adsorbent and therefore
is selectively removed from the mixture

* one component is not able to fit in the

pores and therefore is excluded from
adsorption
Analysis of Adsorption
• Two titles:
– Adsorption kinetics
– Adsorption equilibrium (adsorption isotherms)
Adsorption kinetics
• Rate of adsorption
1. Transfer of adsorbate molecules from
bulk phase to the surface of the particle
(i.e. passage through a film of solvent) Rate-
determining
( Film Diffusion) steps, since
2. Transfer of adsorbate to an adsorption they are slow
site on the inside of the pore (Pore
diffusion)
3. Adsorption on the surface

The rate of adsorption depends on the rate at which the

molecules diffuse in solution or the rate at which the
molecules can reach the surface.
 Adsorption kinetics
𝒅𝑪
= −𝒌𝑪𝒏
𝒅𝒕
If n=1; If n=2;
𝐶 𝑡 𝐶 𝑡
𝑑𝐶 𝑑𝐶
= −𝑘 𝑑𝑡 2
= −𝑘 𝑑𝑡
𝐶𝑜 𝐶 0 𝐶𝑜 𝐶 0

𝐶
𝐶 1 1
𝐼𝑛 = −𝑘𝑡 1
𝐶𝑜 − = −𝑘𝑡 − + = −𝑘𝑡
𝐶 𝐶 𝐶𝑜
𝐶𝑜
𝐶𝑜
𝐼𝑛 = 𝑘𝑡
𝐶
1 1
− = 𝑘𝑡
𝐶𝑜 𝐶𝑜 𝐶
𝐼𝑛 1 1
𝐶 −
𝑠𝑙𝑜𝑝𝑒 = 𝑘 𝐶𝑜 𝐶 𝑠𝑙𝑜𝑝𝑒 = 𝑘

𝑡 𝑡
Adsorption Equilibrium- Adsorption
Isotherms
• Adsorption isotherms describes the relation between
the amount or concentration of adsorbate that
accumulates on the adsorbent and the equilibrium
concentration of dissolved adsorbate.
– Isotherms are equilibrium relationships that do not describe
the rate of reaction.

• Adsorption depends on properties of AC, chemistry

of adsorbate, pH and temperature of water.
• Each application requires the development of
adsorption isotherm.
• The simplest isotherm is Linear Isotherm.
 Gathering Adsorption Isotherm Data
Ce, X/M, X/M,
Flask M, g V, ml mg/L mg/g mg/g*100

1 0 200 75 - -
15

X/M (mg/mg*100)
2 50 200 44 0.124 12.4
3 100 200 30 0.089 8.90
10
4 200 200 17.50 0.0575 5.75
5 500 200 6.75 0.0272 2.72 5
6 800 200 3.90 0.0177 1.77
7 1000 200 3.00 0.0144 1.44 0 25 50 75

M: Mass of adsorbent (g) Ce, mg/L

V: Effective (liquid) volume
X: Mass of solute adsorbed (∆C*V)
Ce: Equilibrium conc. of solute (adsorbate)
Adsorption Isotherm Models
1. Linear Isotherm:
It is the simplest isotherm.
𝑘: partition constant
𝑞𝑒 = 𝑘 𝐶𝑒 Ce: Equilibrium concentration
qe: mass of adsorbate (solute) adsorbed
per unit mass of adsorbent

qe
𝑠𝑙𝑜𝑝𝑒 = 𝑘

Ce
Adsorption Isotherm Models
2. Langmuir Isotherm:
• Assumptions:
– This isotherm equation assumes that fixed individual sites exist
on the surface of the adsorbents, each of these sites being
capable of adsorbing one molecule, resulting in a layer that one
molecule thick over the entire carbon surface
– All sites adsorb the adsorbate equally

S
Adsorption sites
Gas or solute molecules
 Adsorption Isotherm Models
𝑄𝑜: the number of moles (or mass) of adsorbate
𝒃𝑪𝒆 adsorbed per unit mass of adsorbent at complete
𝒒𝒆 = 𝑸𝒐 surface coverage
𝟏 + 𝒃𝑪𝒆
qe: the number of moles (or mass) of adsorbate
adsorbed per unit mass of adsorbent
b: a constant

General shape of Langmuir Isotherm Linearized form:

1 1 1 1
= 𝑜 + 𝑜
𝑞𝑒 𝑄 𝑏 𝐶𝑒 𝑄
qe
1/qe
𝑠𝑙𝑜𝑝𝑒 =?
1/Ce
Ce
Adsorption Isotherm Models
3. Freundlich Isotherm:
• Assumptions:
– Adsorbent has a heterogeneous surface composed of
adsorption sites with different adsorption potentials
– All sites adsorb the adsorbate equally
1/ 𝑛
𝑞𝑒 = 𝑘𝑓 𝐶𝑒

𝑘f : constant related to the capacity of the adsorbent

Ce: Equilibrium concentration
n : constant related to the affinity of the adsorbent (n , affinity )
 Adsorption Isotherm Models
3. Freundlich Isotherm:
• The higher kf value, the more material potentially adsorbed
• The smaller the n value, the greater the affinity of the
adsorbate for the surface.

General shape of Freundlich Isotherm Linearized form:

1
qe
log(𝑞𝑒) = 𝑙𝑜𝑔𝑘𝑓 + 𝑙𝑜𝑔𝐶𝑒
𝑛
Log qe
1
𝑠𝑙𝑜𝑝𝑒 =
𝑛
Log kf
Ce
Log Ce
 Adsorption Isotherm Models
4. BET (Brauner, Emmett, Teller) Isotherm:
• Multilayer adsorption (extension to Langmuir isotherm)
• Equal adsorption energy for each layer.
• A given layer need not complete formation prior to initiation
of subsequent layer

qe 𝑩𝑪𝑸𝒐
𝒒𝒆 =
𝑪
(𝑪𝒔 − 𝑪) 𝟏 + (𝑩 − 𝟏)( )
𝑪𝒔

Cs: Saturation concentration of adsorbate

Ce B : a constant for the energy of interaction
Cs with the n surface.
Adsorption Isotherm Models
4. BET (Brauner, Emmett, Teller) Isotherm:
• Multilayer adsorption (extension to Langmuir isotherm)
• Equal adsorption energy for each layer.
• A given layer need not complete formation prior to initiation
of subsequent layer

Linearized form:

𝐶 1 𝐵−1 𝐶
= 𝑜
+ 𝑜
( )
(𝐶𝑠 − 𝐶)𝑞𝑒 𝐵𝑄 𝐵𝑄 𝐶𝑠 𝐶
(𝐶𝑠 − 𝐶)𝑞𝑒 𝐵−1
𝑠𝑙𝑜𝑝𝑒 =
𝐵𝑄 𝑜
1
𝐵𝑄 𝑜
C/Cs
Information obtained from isotherms
• Effectiveness of AC for a particular situation,
efficiencies of different AC’s
• Dosage needed
• Changes in qe with Ce (the effects of changes in
waste concentration)
• Effects of operational parameter (T, pH, water or
ww compositions)
 Information obtained from isotherms

qe
Log qe

Log Ce Ce
C1

Which carbon to select? Which carbon to select?

qe

Ce
 Information obtained from isotherms

qe
Log qe

logbCe Ce
C1

qeA > qeB qeC = qeD at C1

qeC > qeD at Ce>C1
qeC > qeD at Ce<C1

qe

Non-adsorbable impurities in water!

Ce
 Factors influencing the rate and the
extent of adsorption
• Adsorbent characteristics • Adsorbate characteristics
– Carbon surface area – Compound solubility
– Carbon pore structure – Molecule size
– Carbon particle size – Compound ionization
– Surface polarity – Compound polarity

• Aqueous system characteristics

– Temperature
– pH
– Competing solutes
– Dissolved solids
– Agitation
Adsorbent Characteristics
• Carbon surface area Most
important
• Carbon particle size and size distribution ones

• Carbon pore structure and size distribution

• Surface polarity
– Particle size rate of adsorption
• Time required to approach equilibrium is 200 less for 50 um
PAC than for a 0.75 mm GAC

– The larger the surface area, the greater the

adsorptive capacity
• Particle size has no effect on adsorptive capacity
 Adsorbent Characteristics
The capacity can be measured by;

Compounds 𝑎𝑚𝑜𝑢𝑛𝑡 𝑜𝑓 𝑖𝑜𝑑𝑖𝑛𝑒 0.02 𝑁 𝑠𝑜𝑙𝑢𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 𝑎𝑑𝑠𝑜𝑟𝑏𝑒𝑑 (𝑚𝑔)

𝐼𝑜𝑑𝑖𝑛𝑒 𝑛𝑢𝑚𝑏𝑒𝑟 =
w/ small MW 𝑎𝑚𝑜𝑢𝑛𝑡 𝑜𝑓 𝐴𝐶 (𝑔)
o
Measures the volume of present in pores from 10 to 28 A in
diameter, measure of micropores

𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑜𝑝𝑡𝑖𝑐𝑎𝑙 𝑑𝑒𝑛𝑠𝑖𝑡𝑖𝑒𝑠 𝑜𝑓 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑓𝑖𝑙𝑡𝑟𝑎𝑡𝑒 𝑜𝑓 𝑚𝑜𝑙𝑎𝑠𝑠𝑒𝑠 𝑠𝑜𝑙𝑛

Compounds 𝑀𝑜𝑙𝑎𝑠𝑠𝑒𝑠 𝑛𝑢𝑚𝑏𝑒𝑟 =
𝑡𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑑 𝑤/𝑠𝑡𝑎𝑛𝑑𝑎𝑟𝑑 𝐴𝐶
w/ high MW 𝑎𝑚𝑜𝑢𝑛𝑡 𝑜𝑓 𝐴𝐶

Measures the volume of present in pores greater than

28 Ao in diameter, measure of macropores
 Adsorbent Characteristics
The capacity can be measured by;
𝑚𝑔 𝑜𝑓 𝑀𝐵 𝑎𝑑𝑠𝑜𝑟𝑏𝑒𝑑 𝑏𝑦 𝑜𝑛𝑒 𝑔𝑟𝑎𝑚 𝑜𝑓 𝐴𝐶 𝑖𝑛 𝑒𝑞. 𝑤𝑖𝑡ℎ 𝑎
𝑀𝑒𝑡ℎ𝑦𝑙𝑒𝑛𝑒 𝑏𝑙𝑢𝑒 𝑀𝐵 𝑛𝑢𝑚𝑏𝑒𝑟 =
𝑠𝑜𝑙𝑢𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 𝑜𝑓 𝑀𝐵 ℎ𝑎𝑣𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑎 𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑐𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑟𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 𝑜𝑓 1.9 𝑚𝑔/𝐿
o
Measures the volume of present in pores from 20 to 50 A
in diameter, measure of mesopores
Indicative for color removal

Pore sizes:
- Iodine: 0-2 nm
- MB : 2-5 nm
- Molasses: > 2 nm
Adsorbent Characteristics
the concentration of activated carbon in milligrams
𝑇𝑎𝑛𝑛𝑖𝑛 𝑛𝑢𝑚𝑏𝑒𝑟 = per liter required to reduce the standard tannic acid
concentration from 20 mg/L to 2 mg/L

• Used in determining the best PAC for geosmin and 2-MIB removal

(Geosmin and Methyl-Isoborneol (MIB) are naturally occurring compounds that

have a very strong, earthy taste and odor. They are produced by certain groups of
benthic and pelagic aquatic microorganisms found in source waters such as lakes,
reservoirs, and running waters.)

• A measure of the effectiveness of a carbon in removing geosmin and 2-

MIB (taste and odour compounds)

• The lower the tannin number, the greater the quantity of tannic acid
adsorbed by the PAC and the lower the percentage geosmin remaining
after treatment with PAC i.e. the better the geosmin adsorption by that
PAC.
Adsorbate Characteristics
Solubility:
• Solubility is a very important factor. Soluble
compounds have strong ability for their solvent and
thus more difficult to adsorb. Yet there are
exceptions.
• As solubility decreases, the adsorption capacity
increases.
• Factors such as pH, T and ionic strength which
affect solubility will also affect adsorption.
Adsorbate Characteristics
Effect of MW,molecule structure and polarity:
• Adsorption is stongest when the pores are just large
enough to permit the molecules to enter
• Usually,
1) The increase in MW improves adsorption. However, there is a
max MW. If MW approaches to polymer size, adsorption is
inhibited.
2) Branched chains are more soluble than straight chains.
3) Molecules with low polarity are more sorbable than highly polar
ones.
Adsorbate Characteristics
4) Substituent groups affect adsorbability:
- Hydroxyl groups reduces adsorbability because of increased polarity.
- Amino group have similar but greater effect than hydroxyl group.
- Many amino acids are not adsorbed to any appreciable extent.
- Carbonyl groups have a variable effect depending on the host molecule
- Sulfonic groups decreases adsorbability.
- Nitro groups often increases adsorbability.

5) Aromatic compounds are more adsorbable than aliphatic

compounds.
6) Low MW polar organics such as methanol are not efficiently
removed.
7) Strong ionized solutions are not adsorbable as weakly ionized
ones; i.e. undissociated molecules are prefentially adsorbed in
general.
Aqueous System Characteristics
1) pH
- Strong influence on the extent of adsorption due to
i) H+ ions themselves are strongly adsorbed,
ii) pH influences the ionization and thus the adsorption of many compounds
- As pH increases, the rate of adsorption decreases
- If pH>9  desorption
- Organic acids: more adsorbable at low pH
- Organic basis: more adsorbable at high pH
- Most organics are less soluble and more readily adsorbed at a lower pH.
- As pH increases, the removal by adsorption decreases.
- A rule of thumb is to increase the size of AC column bed by 20 % for every pH
unit above 7.0.

2) Turbidity
- As turbidity increases, the rate of adsorption decreases.
Aqueous System Characteristics
3) Agitation
- If little agitation  thick-film  rate-limiting step: FILM DIFFUSION
- If adequate mixing  rate-limiting step: PORE DIFFUSION

4) Temperature
- T affects both the rate and the extent of adsorption.
- As T increases, the rate of adsorption also increases; however, the degree of
adsorption decreases (adsorption is exothermic)
- In general, lower T seem to favor adsorption
- T effect is highly complicated  must be carefully analyzed to ensure
optimum process design Active
Amount
adsorbed adsorption

Physical
adsorption
T
Aqueous System Characteristics
5) Competing solutes
- Most WWs contain a mixture of compounds representing many different sizes
of molecules  Danger of molecular screening
- Large molecules blocking the pores will prevent the entrance of small
molecules.
- Small molecules with greater mobility  diffuse faster and enter the pores
ahead of the large molecules
 Continuous adsorption columns
Fixed bed adsorption columns
Q, Co
Sorption zone (hz):
Zone where mass transfer occurs.
Sorption
hz
zone
Above this zone there is equilibrium
h Zone between solute in liquid and solute
movement
adsorbed.

AL
EBCT = CT = EBCT ∗ porosity (0.4 − 0.5)
Q
EBCT: Empty bed contact time
Q, C
(7-20 min, ave.10 min), for 1m bed depth
 Fixed bed adsorption columns

As the time passes, sorption zone moves

Q, Co downward. As the zone passes down the
column, the concentration of solute in the
effluent is zero.
Sorption
hz
zone Once the sorption zone reaches the bottom of
h the column, the effluent solute concentration
Zone
movement becomes a finite value and breakthrough
begins.
As sorption zone disappears the effluent
solute concentration increases to Co and the
column is exhausted.
Q, C
Fixed bed adsorption columns
Fixed bed adsorption columns

Co
Effluent Concentration

Ce=0.95Co exhaustion

Cb=0.05Co
Volume treated
Ve
Vb Vs

Idealized breakthrough curve for GAC adsorption column

Fixed bed adsorption columns
Co
exhaustion
Effluent Concentration

Ce
Co-C

Cb
∆V Volume treated
Vb Ve

Adsorption zone volume: Ve-Vb

Adsorption zone depth: 𝑉𝑒 − 𝑉𝑏 A: Cross-sectional area of column

𝐴
The incremental mass adsorbed (∆m) = (C o-C) ∆V
Fixed bed adsorption columns
Co
exhaustion
Effluent Concentration

Ce

Cb
Volume treated
Vb Ve

𝑉𝑒
Am𝑜𝑢𝑛𝑡 𝑎𝑑𝑠𝑜𝑟𝑏𝑒𝑑 𝑢𝑝 𝑡𝑜 𝑒𝑥ℎ𝑎𝑢𝑠𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 = 0 𝐶𝑜 − 𝐶 𝑑𝑉

𝑉𝑒
𝐴𝑚𝑜𝑢𝑛𝑡 𝑎𝑑𝑠𝑜𝑟𝑏𝑒𝑑 𝑓𝑟𝑜𝑚 𝑏𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑘𝑡ℎ𝑟𝑜𝑢𝑔ℎ 𝑡𝑜 𝑒𝑥ℎ𝑎𝑢𝑠𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 = 𝐶𝑜 − 𝐶 𝑑𝑉
𝑉𝑏
Fixed bed adsorption columns

A = Mass of
adsorbate
B discharged from the
column

B = Mass of adsorbate adsorbed in the column

B = Co.Q.time = Co.∆V
𝑀𝑎𝑠𝑠 𝑜𝑓 𝑎𝑑𝑠𝑜𝑟𝑏𝑎𝑡𝑒 𝑎𝑑𝑠𝑜𝑟𝑏𝑒𝑑 (𝐵)
𝐶𝑎𝑝𝑎𝑐𝑖𝑡𝑦 =
𝑀𝑎𝑠𝑠 𝑜𝑓 𝐴𝐶 𝑖𝑛 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑐𝑜𝑙𝑢𝑚𝑛
Capacity from the Column Test and
the Isotherm
• From the column test;
𝑀𝑎𝑠𝑠 𝑜𝑓 𝑎𝑑𝑠𝑜𝑟𝑏𝑎𝑡𝑒 𝑎𝑑𝑠𝑜𝑟𝑏𝑒𝑑 (𝐵)
𝐶𝑎𝑝𝑎𝑐𝑖𝑡𝑦 =
𝑀𝑎𝑠𝑠 𝑜𝑓 𝐴𝐶 𝑖𝑛 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑐𝑜𝑙𝑢𝑚𝑛
Should be
qe from the column test< qe from the Isotherm Test
comparable!
• From the isotherm test;
When exhausted;

qe: capacity
qe

Co
Ce
Application
Methodology
Schematic of activated carbon
adsorption systems
Common configurations
in in

out
Down-flow in series
Each bed is replaced as complete unit,
Recharged bed is moved to polishing
position
Counter curren operation
out
Down-flow in parallel
Each bed is replaced as a single unit
Due to time delay, exhaustion occurs
sequentially

 Simple operation
 Ability to serve as a filter
Common configurations
out

in

Upflow expanded bed in series

Advantageous to pass SS without
developing excessive head loss
Design considerations
• Downflow packed-bed
– Removal of organics
– Removal of SS by filtration  high operating cost and frequent clogging
– More than 3 columns in series should be used  high capital cost
– Bed/X-area= 10:1, 4:1, 2:1
– For plants Q<=20 MGD  premanufactured steel columns
– For plants Q>20 MGD  build concrete columns
• Upflow packed-bed or expanded bed
• Packed or expanded?
– Depends on turbidity level
if turbidity <= 2.5 JTU  packed bed
if turbidity > 2.5 JTU  expanded bed with 10% expansion
Continuous flow adsorbers
Q1 Q2 Q1 Q1

Q1 Q2 Q1 Q1
Fixed bed Counter current flow Fludizied bed
moving bed

• Q1:liquid flow
• Q2:carbon flow
Schematic of activated carbon
contactor.
Two Carbon Beds on The Right
Mobile Adsorbers