Every industrial process create products and waste streams that must be treated
before they can bemarketed (products) or safely discharged (waste). Phenol is one of
the compounds found in petrochemical wastewater that have attracted public
attention due to its possible link with health even at low concentration. Adsorption
via activated carbon is known as one of the most efficient methods for removal of
petrochemical wastefrom aqueous solution.
Conventionally, pilot scale evaluations on adsorption unit require huge investment;
provide limited knowledge ontheadsorption behavior and exposes testing personnel
to hazardous environment during evaluation. Hence, prediction using adsorption
mathematical model is a better option.
The objectives of this project areto develop a mathematical model which represents
the behavior of the adiabatic-constant-velocity (ACV) adsorption process and to
simulate dynamic concentration and temperature profiles of phenol-activated carbon
adsorption using stage method and MATLAB.
The adsorption mathematical model was developed by using Freundlich isotherm
based on the differential mass and heat balances for adiabaric adsorption column.
Numerical method of lines (NUMOL) serves as the core mathematical solution for
stage method. EquiHbrium data from Abdul Hameed REHAN, Pakistan Institute of
NuclearScienceand Technology (1998) were used to simulatethe ACVmodel.
Simulation results on the concentration and temperature using the ACV model give
reasonably not very accurate predictions when compared to the predicted
breakthrough curves of adsorption of phenol (Frank L.Slejko, 1985). The
possibilities cause of the errors was discussed. It is observed that at hightemperature,
the adsorbed loading tends to be lowered and mass transfer is impeded. Lastly, the
simulation results show that the prediction of concentration is more sensitive to mesh
size than temperature predictions
