Protein adsorption kinetics from single- and binary-solution

► Protein mass-adsorption rates are shown to be fast compared to rates-of-change of interfacial tensions. ► Decoupling of mass and interfacial energetics is inconsistent with adsorption-kinetic theories based on energy-barriers to mass adsorption. ► Motivates revision of the basic mechanism of protein adsorption. ► Revised protein-adsorption mechanism explains unusual adsorption competition effects between two proteins.