INTRODUCTION

ADSORPTION The removal of dissolved substances from solution using adsorbents such as activated carbon 3

ADSORPTION Adsorption is the process in which matter is extracted from one phase and concentrated at the surface of a second phase. (Interface accumulation). This is a surface phenomenon as opposed to absorption where matter changes solution phase.

Absorption is the process in which a fluid is dissolved by a liquid or a solid (absorbent). Adsorption is the process in which atoms, ions or molecules from a substance (it could be gas, liquid or dissolved solid) adhere to a surface of the adsorbent. Adsorption is a surface-based process where a film of adsorbate is created on the surface while absorption involves the entire volume of the absorbing substance. d

If we have to remove soluble material from the solution phase, but the material is neither volatile nor biodegradable, we often employ adsorption processes. Also adsorption has application elsewhere, as we will discuss later. Adsorbate: material being adsorbed Adsorbent: material doing the adsorbing.

The physical form of the GAC may depend on source of raw materials                                               9

MANUFACTURE OF ACTIVATED CARBON: DIFFERENT RAW MATERIALS                                                                                                                                                                                                                            10

DIFFERENT PHYSICAL FORMS OF ACTIVATED CARBON                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     11

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Area of a few grams of activated carbon                                             13

                                                                                        Application Methodology 14

REACTIVATION OF ACTIVATED CARBON                                                                                    15