Removal of oxygenated pollutants from wastewater by polymeric resins: Dataon adsorption equilibrium and kinetics in fixed beds

The aqueous phase adsorption of methyl-tert-butyl ether (MTBE) and tert-but yl alcohol (TBA) onto an Amberlite resin at 20 degrees C was investigated u nder different operating conditions. To this end, both batch and fixed-bed experiments were performed on single solute and bisolute mixtures, The sing le-solute equilibrium data were fitted by means of the Freundlich equation and isotherm parameters were determined. The data on bisolute adsorption sh owed a strong competitive effect between MTBE and TEA, which can be describ ed by means of a theoretical model accounting for the non-ideal behaviour o f adsorbed phase. Experimental breakthrough curves were determined for sing le-solute solutions in order to evaluate the overall mass transfer coeffici ents bt tween liquid and adsorbed phases. A predictive model for multisolut e fixed-bed adsorption is proposed and the theoretical results are compared with experimental data. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved .