Study of binary adsorption equilibrium of hydrocarbons in activated carbon using micropore size distribution

Adsorption equilibria of gases on Norit activated carbon were measured using a differential adsorber bed rig. The binary gas mixtures between three hydrocarbon gases, i.e., methane, ethane, and propane, were employed in the experiment as adsorbates. The experimental equilibrium data were used to examine the predictive capability of the multicomponent equilibrium model, which utilizes the concept of micropore size distribution and Lennard-Jones potential theory to describe the adsorption energetic heterogeneity on activated carbon. The effects of the minimum size of pores accessible to adsorbates and the constraint in the saturation adsorption capacity of the extended Langmuir equation on the prediction performance are investigated within the model.