Sample Problem #4:

The adsorption of n-butanol from air was

studied in a small fixed bed (10.16-cm
diameter) with 300 and 600 g carbon,
corresponding to bed lengths of 8 and 16 cm.
(a). From the following data for effluent
concentration, estimate the saturation capacity
of the carbon and the fraction of the bed used
at c/c0= 0.05.
(b). Predict the break-point time for a bed
length of 32 cm.
Data for n-butanol on Columbia JCX 4/6 carbon are as
follows:
U0= 58 cm/s Dp= 0.37 cm
C0= 365 ppm S= 1194 m2/g
T=25ºC b= 0.461 g/cm3
P= 737 mm Hg = 0.457
300 g 600 g
t, h C/Co t, h C/Co
1 0.005 5 0.0019
1.5 0.01 5.5 0.003
2 0.027 6 0.0079
2.4 0.05 6.5 0.018
2.8 0.1 7 0.039
3.3 0.2 7.5 0.077
4 0.29 8 0.15
5 0.56 8.5 0.24
(a) The concentration profiles are plotted and extended to
C/Cxo= 1, assuming the curves are symmetrical about
C/Co= 0.5.

BREAKTHROUGH CURVES: Time VS. C/Co

1.2

0.8
C/Co

0.6

0.4

0.2

0
1 1.5 2 2.4 2.8 3.3 4 5 5 5.5 6 6 6.5 7
Time (h)

L=8 cm L= 16 cm
 Activated C
300g & 600 g

ADSORBER
D= 10.16 cm
L= 8 & 16 cm
C/Co=0.05
Air
Co= 365 ppm
= 0.461 g/cm3
 FA= U0C0M

cm 365 x 10-6 273 737 mol

= 58 x x x 74.12 g/mol
s 22400 298 76 cm3

= 6.22 x 10-5 g/cm2-s or 0.224 g/cm2-h

The total solute adsorbed is the area above the graph

multiplied by FA. For the 8-cm bed, the area is

 (1- C/Co) dt = 4.79 h

8.5

0
The mass of carbon per unmit cross-sectional areaof
bed is 8 x 0.461 = 3.69 g/cm2. Thus,

0.224 x 4.798
Wsat =
3.69

= 0.291 g solute/ g carbon

At the breakpoint, where C/Co= 0.05, t=2.4 h

 2.4
(1- C/Co) dt = 2.37 h
0
The amount adsorbed up to the break point is then

0.224 x 2.37
Wb =
3.69
= 0.144 g solute/ g carbon

Wb 0.144
=
Wsat 0.291
= 0.495

Thus 50% of the bed capacity is unused, which can be

represented by a length of 4 cm.
For the entire bed,

 (1- C/Co) dt = 9.59 h

13

0.224 x 9.59
Wsat =
16 x 0.461

= 0.291 g solute/ g carbon

At C/Co=0.05, t=7.1 h, and

 (1- C/Co) dt = 7.07 h

7.1

0
 0.224 x 7.07
Wb =
16 x 0.461
= 0.215 g solute/ g carbon

Wb 0.215
= = 0.739
Wsat 0.291

At the break point, 74% of the bed capacity is used,

which corresponds to an unused section of length 0.26 x
16 = 4.2 cm.
(b) For L= 31 cm, the expected length for a fully used
bed is 32 – 4.1= 27.9 cm.The fraction of the bed used is

Wb 27.9
=
Wsat 32
= 0.872

The break point time is

L(Wb/Wsat) b Wsat 27.9 x 0.461 x 0.291
Tb = =
FA 0.224
= 16.7 h