INFLUENCE OF CHARACTERIZED NATURAL ORGANIC MATERIAL ON ACTIVATED CARBON ADSORPTION .2. EFFECT ON PORE VOLUME DISTRIBUTION AND ADSORPTION OF2-METHYLISOBORNEOL
G. Newcombe et al., INFLUENCE OF CHARACTERIZED NATURAL ORGANIC MATERIAL ON ACTIVATED CARBON ADSORPTION .2. EFFECT ON PORE VOLUME DISTRIBUTION AND ADSORPTION OF2-METHYLISOBORNEOL, Water research, 31(5), 1997, pp. 1065-1073
The adsorption of four ultrafiltration fractions of natural organic ma
terial (NOM) had a significant effect on the surface area and pore vol
ume distributions of a coal-based activated carbon. This effect was de
pendent on the size of the compounds; the smaller fraction had the gre
atest effect on the micropore volume, and the larger fractions had a g
reater effect on the mesopore volume. Only the mesopore volume of a wo
od-based activated carbon was reduced by adsorption of the NOM fractio
ns. The competitive adsorption between five NOM ultrafiltration fracti
ons and 2-methylisoborneol (MIB) was greatest for the smallest fractio
n (ultrafiltration molecular weight <500), as this fraction was the mo
st similar in size to MIB and therefore provided direct competition fo
r the same adsorption sites. The NOM in a natural water sample display
ed the greatest competition with MIB, due to the presence of small com
pounds that were lost during the concentration and desalting procedure
s used to obtain the NOM fractions. The competition between MIB and th
e largest ultrafiltration fraction was very small and could probably b
e attributed to smaller compounds present in this fraction. (C) 1997 E
lsevier Science Ltd.