LIQUID-PHASE ADSORPTION OF PHENOL AND ITS DERIVATIVES ON ACTIVATED CARBON-FIBERS

The adsorption of three phenolic compounds from aqueous solutions on a ctivated carbon fibers was measured in the 2-5 mol/m(3) concentration range at 303 K. High adsorption capacities were obtained for the subst ituted phenols. Several isotherm equations were tried in order to find an equation which correlates the equilibrium data best. Among the equ ations tried, the three-parameter equation of Jossens et al. derived t hermodynamically and based on a heterogeneous surface adsorption theor y was found to be the most satisfactory over the entire range of conce ntrations. A rate parameter was obtained and used to describe the adso rption process on a quantitative basis. This rate parameter could be s uccessfully correlated against the initial solute concentration.