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Modeling breakthrough curves of volatile organic compounds on activated carbon fibers

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Abstract

Granular activated carbon (GAC) and more recently activated carbon fibers (ACF) are used for the treatment of volatile organic compounds (VOC) in industrial processes. The purpose of this study was to investigate the adsorption kinetics of ACF to eliminate VOC from polluted air. This approach is carried out by modeling experimental breakthrough curves with two kinds of models: an equilibrium model and a mass transfer model based on a linear driving force (LDF) in conjunction with the Langmuir equilibrium model. The results show the influence of the intraparticle diffusion on the adsorption kinetics of ACF, in spite of their small fiber diameter. Moreover, external diffusion kinetics is fast because of the influence of the large external surface area of ACF on the VOC mass transfer.

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Abbreviations

a :

External surface area of adsorbent particles per unit adsorbent volume, m2/m3

C i :

Bulk-fluid phase concentration of component i, kg/m3

C is :

Fluid phase concentration of component i on the surface of particles, kg/m3

C in :

Inlet bulk-fluid phase concentration of component i, kg/m3

\(\overline{C_{i}}\) :

Average concentration of component i in the fluid phase inside the particle, kg/m3

D e :

Effective intraparticular diffusion coefficient, m2/s

D K :

Knudsen diffusion, m2/s

D m :

Molecular diffusivity of the component i in the carrier, m2/s

D z :

Axial dispersion coefficient, m2/s

d f :

Fiber diameter, m

K :

Langmuir isotherm parameter, m3/kg

k f :

External diffusion coefficient, m/s

k p :

Intraparticular diffusion parameter, 1/s

L :

Column length, m

Pe :

Peclet number

\(\overline{q_{i}}\) :

Average solid phase concentration of component i (amount adsorbed), kg/kg

q im :

Langmuir isotherm parameter, kg/kg

q is :

Concentration of component i on the surface of the particle, kg/kg

r f :

Fiber radius, m

T :

Temperature, K

t :

Dimensional time

u :

Interstitial velocity of fluid, m/s

Y :

Dimensionless axial coordinate

z :

Axial coordinate, m

ε :

Bed void volume fraction

ε p :

Particle porosity

ρ p :

Density of the adsorbent, kg/m3

ρ f :

Density of the fluid, kg/m3

τ :

Dimensionless time

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratoire Génie de l’Environnement Industriel, Ecole des Mines d’Alès, 6 avenue de Clavières, 30319, Alès Cedex, France

    Line Fournel

  2. Laboratoire Thermique Energétique et Procédés, Université de Pau et des Pays de l’Adour, Avenue de l’Université, BP 1155, 64013, Pau Cedex, France

    Pierre Mocho

  3. Institut Pluridisciplinaire de Recherche sur l’Environnement et les Matériaux, ECP, 2 avenue Pierre Angor, 64053, Pau Cedex 9, France

    Ross Brown

  4. UMR 6226, Ecole Nationale Supérieure de Chimie de Rennes, Campus de Beaulieu, Avenue du Général Leclerc, 35700, Rennes, France

    Pierre le Cloirec

Authors
  1. Line Fournel
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  2. Pierre Mocho
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  3. Ross Brown
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  4. Pierre le Cloirec
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Correspondence to Pierre Mocho.

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Fournel, L., Mocho, P., Brown, R. et al. Modeling breakthrough curves of volatile organic compounds on activated carbon fibers. Adsorption 16, 147–153 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10450-010-9207-4

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