Recycling of an industrial waste used for the disposal of organic compounds in a fixed bed column

Abstract

Molecular sieves 4A zeolite are materials used to dehydrate natural gas in liquefaction plants (LNG) in Algeria. After several cycles of regeneration and reuse, their structures degrade and affect their performances. Once replaced by new ones, they will be stored within the plant as an industrial used 4Azeolite (U4AZ). The aim of this study is to investigate the possibility of using U4AZ as an adsorbent for removing phenol and ethanol from aqueous solutions in a fixed bed column. Breakthrough curves were plotted for the adsorption of ethanol and phenol on the adsorbent U4AZ by varying initial concentrations (281, 444 mg/L) and contact time for constant flow rate (0.5 mL/min). The experimental data were fitted by empirical relationship based on Bohart-Adams model. The obtained correlations were in good agreement with the experimental breakthrough curve data. This investigation indicated that U4AZ could be used as a recyclable material to remove phenol and ethanol from aqueous solution by adsorption.