Influence of ultrasound on adsorption processes

One of the most popular means for removal of organic water pollutants found in small concentrations is by adsorption. An important step in adsorption processes is the regeneration of the adsorbent as it does not only affect t he adsorption-desorption cycle but also the expenses of the following proce ss steps. State of the art regeneration of adsorbent resins is done by chem ical methods. These require the use of organic solvents or inorganic chemic als and involve a difficult secondary separation step. Therefore, industry seeks for alternative methods to regenerate exhausted adsorbents. One of th e discussed regeneration methods is desorption by ultrasound. Ultrasound does not only promote desorption but also enhances the mass tran sfer of sorption processes. We discuss the arising problems and basic effec ts when applying ultrasound during sorption processes in order to show the potentials of this desorption process. The focus is laid in particular on t he influence of ultrasound frequency and intensity. (C) 2001 Elsevier Scien ce B.V. All rights reserved.