Dynamic Adsorptive Removal of Toxic Chemicals for Purification of Water

Abstract

To determine the efficiency of carbon column for the removal of toxic chemicals from water, the adsorption of phenol in concentration range from 0.600 glt to 1.475 gll was studied on active
carbon of 80 CTC grade, 12 X 30 BSS particle size, 1280 m2/g surface area, and of coconut shell origin, under dynamic conditions at space velocity from 0.318 min-' to 4.24 min-' at 25 'C. The carbon column of 100 cm length and 2 cm diameter was found to be removing phenol from the aqueous solution of concentration 1.475 gll up to 84 min at 0.678 min-' space velocity at 5.0 ppm phenol breakthrough concentration. However, no phenol was observed in carbon-treated water after 80 min. The service life of carbon column (100 cm lengthX25 cm diameter) was assessed through the water purification system developed at the Defence Laboratory, Jodhpur and was determined to be 4.095 days with twoas factor of safety for 10 ppm initial concentration of phenol at 0.678 min-' space velocity (corresponding to water flow rate). Effects of carbon bed length, water flow rate, and the phenol concentration were also studied.