Column Dynamics for Adsorption of Bulk Binary Gas Mixtures on Activated Carbon

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Abstract
Dynamics of adsorption from bulk N2-He, CH4-He, CO2-He, CO2-N2, and CO2-CH4 binary mixtures were measured in a column packed with the BPL activated carbon. The data were analyzed using an adiabatic, isobaric, constant pattern model of column adsorption in conjunction with a linear driving force model for the adsorbate mass transfer. It was found that the mass transfer coefficients for adsorption of CO2, CH4, and N2 were significantly lower during binary co-adsorption in the presence of each other than the corresponding pure component mass transfer coefficients in the presence of nonadsorbing helium. The reduction was more pronounced for the less strongly adsorbed species of the binary mixture. This kinetic interaction between the adsorbates could not be predicted a priori. Equilibrium isotherms for adsorption of pure N2, CH4, and CO2 and for adsorption of CO2-N2 and CO2-CH4 binaries were also measured on the carbon. The isotherms obeyed the Langmuir equation.