Adsorption dynamics of chlorinated hydrocarbons from multi-component aqueous solution onto activated carbon

The results and a numerical simulation of studies on dynamics of the adsorption from seven-component aqueous solution of light chlorinated hydrocarbons on activated carbon have been presented. Aqueous solution of 1,2-dichloroethane (12DCE), 1,1,2,2-tetrachloroethane (S-TET), chloroform (CHCl3), carbon tetrachloride (CCl4), 1,1-dichloroethene (VDC), perchloroethene (PER) and 1,1,2-trichloroethene (TRI) was used. Concentrations of chlorohydrocarbons were similar as in wastewater from vinyl chloride plant. A cell model that incorporates the diffusion through a laminar layer of liquid around a particle was used to describe the experimental results. The applied calculation methods, which take kinetics into account, allows to well describe a phenomenon of dynamic adsorption. Mean relative deviations between the experimental and calculated values amounted 17%. The breakthrough curves become steeper along with an increase of the bed height. A consistency of the experimental results with those calculated indicates for a negligible contribution of the axial diffusion on the dynamic adsorption process of light chlorinated hydrocarbons from aqueous solution under the hydrodynamic conditions corresponding to the Reynolds number equal to 1.3. Determined optimal bed height for waste linear flow rate-15 cm/min is in the range 80-120 cm.