Reversibility of solvent-induced surface modification of alumina adsorbents

Abstract

The adsorption isotherms and relevant thermodynamic data for the adsorption of four representative adsorbates establish that pre-washing a representative alumina adsorbent with n-hexane or benzene does not alter irreversibly its gas—solid chromatographic selectivity and that simple temperature conditioning is sufficient to restore it to its original state. Further, deviations in the zero surface coverage partition constants of any given adsorbate are no greater than the experimental uncertainties (largely owing to kinetic effects) that are usual in studies of this kind.