The immersion enthalpies of three activated carbons (G, G1173 and O), subjected to chemical (oxidation with HNO3) and thermal modifications (treatment at 1173 K) into hexane (H) and toluene (T) as pure solvents and mixtures of the liquids with a ratio T/H = 0.2/0.8, 0.4/0.6, 0.6/0.4 and 0.8/0.2 were determined to evaluate both, the effect of the solid and the modification of the liquid phase in the adsorbate–adsorbent interaction. For this, the physicochemical characterization of the solids was carried out through N2 adsorption isotherms and Boehm titrations. Immersion enthalpies were evaluated using a heat conduction microcalorimeter designed and assembled in the laboratory. The enthalpy values for the pure solvents were between −59.06 and −126.10 J g−1 for toluene and between −16.36 and −66.14 J g−1 for hexane. For the mixtures, the values were between −26.15 and −94.38 J g−1. The interaction was favored if toluene was the pure solvent and the sample had lower oxygenated groups content, since the interactions of the dispersive type increased by the interaction between the π electrons present in activated carbon and the aromatic structure of toluene. For the mixtures T/H ratio = 0.2/0.8 and 0.4/0.6 where hexane was the solvent, the interaction of the mixture with the solid was favored with respect to the pure solvent, while for T/H ratio = 0.6/0.4 and 0.8/0.2 (solvent: toluene), the interaction was disfavored, given the lower affinity of hexane with activated carbon.
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