Characterization of P-nitrophenol Adsorption Kinetic Properties in Batch and Fixed Bed Adsorbers

P-nitrophenol（PNP） adsorption in batch and fixed bed adsorbers was studied. The homogeneous surface diffusion model（HSDM） based on external mass transfer and intraparticle surface diffusion was used to describe the adsorption kinetics for PNP in stirred batch adsorber at various initial concentrations and activated carbon dosages. The fixed bed model considering both external and internal mass transfer resistances as well as axial dispersion with non-linear isotherm was utilized to predict the fixed bed breakthrough curves for PNP adsorption under the conditions of different flow rates and inlet concentrations. The equilibrium parameters and surface diffusivity（Ds） were obtained from separate experiments in batch adsorber. The obtained value of Ds is 4.187×1012 m2/s. The external film mass transfer coefficient（kf） and axial dispersion coefficient（DL） were estimated by the correlations of Goeuret and Wike-Chang. The Biot number determined by HSDM indicated that the adsorption rate of PNP onto activated carbon in stirred batch was controlled by intraparticle diffusion and film mass transfer. A sensitivity analysis was carried out and showed that the fixed bed model calculations were sensitive to Ds and kf, but insensitive to DL. The sensitivity analysis and Biot number both confirm that intraparticle diffusion and film mass transfer are the controlling mass transfer mechanism in fixed bed adsorption system.

Numerical simulation of pollution process due to resuspension of bed materials adsorbing pollutants in alluvial rivers

Resuspension of bed materials absorbing pollutants potentially poses unpredictable challenges to water management in alluvial rivers and its mechanism of transport has not been widely recognized.In this study,a transport equation that defines the movement of pollutants adsorbed on the bed materials in the active bed layer is established,on the basis of mass conservation law and continuum theory.The transport equation is coupled into the 1-D mathematical model to numerically investigate water pollution process due to the scour of the bed sediment adsorbing pollutants.Comparisons with the situation in which the dynamics of the active bed layer is not considered indicate that the periodical evolution of the bed layer plays an innegligible role in the pollution process due to sediment re-suspension.Furthermore,comparisons of the results with available experimental observations are presented,and fairly good agreement is obtained.