Adsorption

Abstract

Adsorption processes are used in drinking water treatment for the removal of taste- and odor-causing compounds, synthetic organic chemicals, color-forming organics, and disinfection by-product precursors. The primary adsorbent materials used in the adsorption process for drinking water treatment are powdered activated carbon (PAC) and granular activated carbon (GAC). This chapter provides an introduction to adsorption processes and methods used for the design of PAC and GAC systems. The topics discussed include development of the adsorption phenomena; manufacture, regeneration, and reactivation; fundamentals of adsorption; development of isotherms and equations used to describe adsorption equilibrium; applications using PAC; and applications using GAC. The affinity of the adsorbate for an adsorbent is quantified using adsorption isotherms, which are used to describe the amount of adsorbate that can be adsorbed onto an adsorbent at equilibrium and at a constant temperature.