You are on page 1of 5

INDUSTRIAL ADSORBENTS

Industrially, adsorbent materials are used in a wide range

of applications, including purification, separations, drying,

spill management, catalysis, and pollution control etc.

Adsorption

Adsorption refers to surface based process in which

molecules, ions, or atoms accumulate on the surface of a

material.

Difference between Adsorption and Absorption

Adsorption describes accumulation of molecules at the

interface between the solid and fluid phases.


Absorption involves one substance entering the bulk

or volume of another.

Adsorbent Classifications
Adsorbent can be classified according to their structures,

as well as according to their behavior toward water.

Structural Classification

Zeolites crystalline structure


Activated carbon and polymers amorphous structure

(hydrophobic)
Silica gel and activated alumina amorphous

structure (hydrophilic)

Forms of Adsorbents

Powder
Granules
Pellets

Characterization of Adsorbents
Adsorbents are often characterized by their pore size

distribution. Pore sizes are divided into three general

categories.

1. Micropores 2 nm or smaller
2. Mesopores greater than 2 nm but smaller than 50

nm
3. Macropores greater than 50 nm

Broad Classes

Aluminas

Made of aluminum oxide (Al2O3).


Used as desiccants for drying gases and air, as well as

for removing fluoride from drinking water and as

catalysts.
Average pore sizes between 4 and 14 nm.
Surface areas between 0.25 and 0.36 km2/kg.

Silicates and aluminosilicates


They include both naturally occurring zeolites

(mordenite and chazabite) and synthetic zeolites (silica

gel, clay and diatomaceous earth.


They have uniform pore size.
Clays are mineral adsorbents that are used as spill-

cleaning agents, sealants and packing materials

because they are inexpensive, inert, and have a quick

capture rate.
Fullers earth is an activated, natural clay-based

adsorbent with low costs.


Silica gel is a common desiccant used in food

preservation, humidity control, and various medical

devices.

Carbons

The clay of carbon adsorbents includes various

activated carbons.
Activated carbon is organic material that undergoes a

partial oxidation process to form porous granules.


Activated carbons are versatile and inexpensive

adsorbents that are available in many sizes and are

used in a wide range of applications from gas, water

and metal purification to air filtration.

Organic polymers

A wide range of adsorbents made from organic

polymers are available.


They are used in size-exclusion chromatography and

gas-separation processes, where they can exhibit high

retention power and selectivity.


Most polymer adsorbents do not require disposal and

the regeneration process is generally environmentally

friendly.

You might also like