Adsorption of Nitrogen on Silica Gel Over a Large Range of Temperatures

Abstract

To study the mechanism of physical adsorption of supercritical gases, the adsorption equilibria of N2 on silica gel for 103–298 K using 20 K increments and pressures up to 10 MPa were measured. A transition of the adsorption mechanism was proven on crossing the critical temperature, but the transition way observed is different from that observed with activated carbon. This causes a difference in the locations of the linear section of the n-ρ g isotherm at the near-critical temperature. Although the isotherm type is different on silica gel and on activated carbon in the sub-critical region, all isotherms in the supercritical region can be well modeled by a single model. It leads to the argument that the adsorption mechanism of supercritical gases is identical no matter what kind of adsorbent is used.