Volatile organic compounds adsorption onto neat and hybrid bacterial cellulose

Adsorption dynamics of VOCs (volatile organic compounds) vapour from air streams onto fixed bed adsorbent were measured and simulated under various operation conditions. Isopropanol (IPA) and n-hexane (HEX) were selected as representatives of polar and nonpolar VOCs, whereas bacterial cellulose (BC) and BC incorporated with magnetite nanoparticles (M/BC), were tested as adsorbents. An experimental study emphasizing the influence of air superficial velocity (0.7 cm/s and 1.7 cm/s), operation temperature (30 °C and 40 °C), adsorbate and adsorbent type, on fixed bed saturation curves was conducted. Optimal adsorption performances evaluated in terms of saturation adsorption capacity were obtained for the adsorption of polar compound (IPA) onto M/BC composite (0.805 g/g) and of nonpolar compound (HEX) onto neat BC (0.795 g/g), respectively, at high values of air velocity and operation temperature. A mathematical model including mass balance of VOC species, whose parameters were fitted based on experimental data, was developed in order to predict the fixed bed saturation curves. A 23 statistical model indicating a significant increase in adsorption performances with process temperature was validated under the experimental conditions.