Kinetic modeling of pentachlorophenol adsorption from aqueous solution on activated carbon fibers

Abstract The adsorption equilibrium data of pentachlorophenol (PCP) onto activated carbon fiber (ACF) in felt form were obtained in a batch adsorber at T = 25 °C and pH 12 and the Langmuir isotherm fitted reasonably well with the experimental data. The rate of adsorption of PCP on ACF was investigated in this work and the experimental concentration decay data were obtained in a differential column batch adsorber. The overall rate of adsorption of PCP was interpreted by a diffusional model that takes into account the external mass transport and intrafiber diffusion. The experimental concentration decay can be described quite well with the diffusional model if the overall rate of adsorption is mainly controlled by intrafiber diffusion and the external mass transport is not important to the overall rate of adsorption. Moreover, intrafiber diffusion was significantly affected by restricted diffusion since the molecular diameter of the PCP was closed to 55% of the average pore diameter. The effect of restricted diffusion was estimated using correlations reported in the literature. The molecules of PCP adsorbed on the surface of the pore also hindered the diffusion of PCP molecules inside the pores.