Competitive effects and interactions during sorption of SMP fractions on activated carbon: Response surface approach for visualization of sorption profiles

► Reducing carbon surface availability resulted in relatively less significant reduction in sorption of carbohydrate than that for protein. ► The modified Langmuir-like model was not adequate for carbohydrate and protein when the synergistic and antagonistic affects between the two solutes were significant. ► Visualization of the experimental data indicated presence of an optimum in the multi-component systems.