PREDICTION OF REMOVAL OF VAPORS FROM AIR BY ADSORPTION ON ACTIVATED CARBON

Carbon granules, packed to a reproducible bulk density in beds of uniform cross-sectional area, were subjected to constant inlet vapor concentrations, volume flow rate, and temperature. The breakthrough time of the vapor from the bed (tb,), at an exit concentration equal to 1% of the inlet concentration, was determined for several bed weights (W). Using carbon tetrachloride as the reference vapor, removal performance of the carbon was determined from the adsorption capacity (We) and adsorption rate constant (kv) for the vapor, as calculated from the straight line curves obtained when tb was plotted vs. W. From these properties, the kinetic adsorption equations for chloroform, benzene, p-dioxane, 1,2-dichloroethane, sec-butylamine, chlorobenzene, and acrylo-nitrile were predicted. Comparisons of predicted with experimental parameters revealed variations of from —1.8 to +7.7% for We and from -12.9 to +14.4% for kv. This technique yields reliable predictions of the adsorption behavior of carcinogenic, or otherwise toxic vapors, on carbons. © 1979, American Chemical Society. All rights reserved.