DEPARTMENT OF CHEMISTRY

CHE 343
EXPERIMENT 12
Experiment Title; ADSORPTION OF THE SOLID-SOLUTION INTERFACE

Surname; MAHATE
First name; OTSHEPILE
ID number; 202105652

Day; Friday 0700-1000hrs

Date of the experiment; 08 September 2023
Partner’s name & ID: KEATLARETSE GRACE DISWAI 202108589
ABSTRACT
The aim of the experiment is to examine the validity of simple relationships that are commonly
used to describe adsorption processes in order to calculate the number of ethane dioic acid
molecules required to form a single layer of these molecules on the surface of one gram of
charcoal and thus estimate the specific surface area of charcoal. Titration was used to determine
these variables and , the hypotheses were shown to be bad. The overall concentration of surface
sites in the Langmuir isotherm was discovered to be 0.01128mol/g. At their greatest extent, the
acid molecules occupied 0.8688 of the total surface area. Char coal had a specific surface area of
3.39528×1021 m2 g-1. The values of n and k for the Freundlich isotherm were discovered to be
0.32 and 3.2, respectively.

AIM
The aim of the experiment is to examine the validity of simple relationships that are commonly
used to describe adsorption processes in order to calculate the number of ethane dioic acid
molecules required to form a single layer of these molecules on the surface of one gram of
charcoal and thus estimate the specific surface area of charcoal.
INTRODUCTION
Adsorption is the process by which a gas or liquid solute builds up on the surface of a substance
such as soil or liquid (adsorbent), generating an atomic or molecular film. Unlike absorption,
which occurs when a substance diffuses into a liquid or soil to create a solution, evaporation does
not happen. The interactions with the oil phase and the adsorption free energy, which depend on
the interfacial free energy, are what drive the adsorption of surfactants to fluid interfaces. As a
result, there are fewer interactions and lower interfacial free energies at polar interfaces.
The forces of attraction between the liquid and solid phases start to become important when a
liquid encounters them. Essentially, a fluid- solid sorption process entails There are three steps:
(i) mass transfer of the species to be adsorbed by diffusion into both the adsorbed phase and
adsorbent pore (ii) mass transfer of the adsorbate by diffusion into both phases (i). There are
several adsorbents with various properties, such as charcoal, which has an outstanding adsorbent
nature and can capture a wide variety of chemical compounds.
According to the Langmuir isotherm, surface occupancy rises with pressure until the entire
surface is covered in a single layer of molecules and further adsorption is impossible (Atkins, P.,
& de Paula, J. (2014)). When the relative pressure of unity is obtained at or before the adsorbate
adsorption is restricted to one molecular layer. It links partial pressure or concentration at a fixed
temperature to the amount of surface area occupied by adsorbent molecules on solid adsorbents
(Ruthven, D. M. (1984).
Oxalic acid from the solution is adsorbed on activated charcoal using the Freundlich and
Langmuir adsorption isotherms in conjunction with carbon dioxide. During the process,
charcoal's impurities and hydrocarbons are eliminated, creating a vast surface area for
adsorption. Since tests are often conducted at a constant temperature, temperature effects on
adsorption are regarded as zero as indicated by( Ruthven, D. M. (1984). Isotherms are graphs
created from data. The surface area of the charcoal will determine how much oxalic acid
(adsorbate) is adsorbed per gram of charcoal (adsorbent).
The following elements will affect how much adsorption occurs: - Nature adsorbates and
adsorbates.
- Adsorbent surfaces are present.
- Adsorption medium activation
According to Langmuir, adsorption occurs as a straightforward equilibrium between absorbate
species (A) and surface sites (S) in the liquid phase, as shown below:
S+A SA
The Langmuir Isotherm will be confirmed by a linear plot of [A]/[SA] against [A]. The
Freundlich Adsorption Isotherm is validated by a linear plot of the log "SA" against log "A."

EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURE
500ml of sodium hydroxide and 250ml of oxalic acid were combined to create the solution. By
utilizing phenolphthalein indicator and titrating the NaOH solution with oxalic acid, the NaOH
solution was standardized. Six 250ml flashes that had been thoroughly cleaned and dried were
labeled beside 10ml ones. Each of the 250ml flash containers received the amounts of water and
oxalic acid to make the solution as shown in the table below. 10ml of each of the six solutions
was pipetted into a different, labeled flask before being titrated against the NaOH. Each of the
reaction vials bearing the label "flash" received properly weighted transfers of approximately 1 g
of charcoal. The reaction bottles were filled with the remaining 40 ml of the solution from the
250 ml flask, and they were shaken thoroughly Mix everything together and let sit for 20
minutes. After allowing the charcoal to settle, each flash solution was filtered through a tiny, dry
filter paper, and the filtrate was collected in a different, appropriately labeled flash. Once more,
10 ml of the filtrate was pipetted into clean flash and used for the initial titration against
standardized NaOH.
Table 1.1: Solution used in adsorption study
Flask Oxalic acid solution (ml) Water (mlt)

1 50.0 0.0

2 40.0 10.0
 3 30.0 20.0

4 20.0 30.0

5 10.0 40.0

6 5.0 45.0

RESULTS ANALYSIS
Mass of NaOH = 1.9834g Standardization volume used = 39.13ml
Mass of Oxalic acid = 5.641g

Table1.2; showing moles before and after adsorption.

Run Mass of Volume Volume NaOH O2H2O4 NaOH O2H2O4 moles after
Charcoal used used after moles moles moles after Adsorption(mol)
(g) before in L before before Adsorption
L adsorption Adsorption (mol)
(mol) (mol)
1 1.0133 0.03885 0.03510 0.1244 0.0622 0.1123 0.0562
2 1.0044 0.03232 0.02554 0.1035 0.0518 0.0818 0.0409
3 1.0062 0.02348 0.01905 0.0752 0.0376 0.0610 0.0305
4 1.0027 0.01562 0.01343 0.0500 0.0250 0.0430 0.0215
5 1.0070 0.00785 0.00329 0.0253 0.0127 0.0113 0.0057
6 1.0050 0.00400 0.00214 0.0128 0.0064 0.0069 0.0034

SAMPLE CALCULATIONS
i)Moles of O2H2O4 = Mass/Molar mass
=5.641g/90.03g/mol
=0.06265689mol
=0.06266mol
ii)Mole ratio of C2H2O4 Moles of NaOH is 1:2
⸫ Moles of NaOH= 0.06266×2
=0.12532mol
=0.1253mol
iii)Concentration of NaOH= Moles/Volume
=0.1253mol/(39.13/1000)L
=3.2021466905M
=3.2021M
Calculations for the Table1.2:
Before the adsorption:
Moles of NaOH used=Concentration of NaOH × Volume used
=3.2021M×(38.85/1000)
=0.124401585mol
=0.1244mol
Moles of O2H2O4 =0.1244mol/2
=0.0622mol
After adsorption:
Moles of NaOH used=3.2021M×(35.10/1000)L
=0.11239371mol
=0.1124mol
Moles of O2H2O4 = 0.1124mol/2
=0.0562mol
Table 1.3: showing the Langmuir Adsorption Isotherm results
[A] oxalic acid Log [A] {SA} Log {SA} Ratio (g/L)
Concentration M Mol/g
1.1380 0.05614 0.0098 -2.0057 116.1
0.8180 -0.0872 0.0109 -1.9626 75.04
0.6100 -0.2147 0.0071 -2.1487 85.92
0.4300 -0.3665 0.0035 -2.4560 62.32
0.1060 -0.9745 0.0069 -2.1579 15.53
0.0680 -1.1675 0.0030 -2.5229 22.61

Calculations for table 1.3

i)Concentration of O2H2O4 [A] = 0.0569 mol / (50/1000) L
=1.138M
ii)log [A] = log 1.1380
= 0.0561M
iii) SA =( Initial mole of O2H2O4 – Final mole) /Mass of charcoal
=(0.0662-0.0569)/1.0133
=0.0098 Mol/g
iv) Log SA= log(0.0100)
= -2.0057
v) ratio = [A] /{SA}
=1.1380/0.0098
=116.1g/L
 Graph showing [A]/{SA} AGAINST [A]

140

120
f(x) = 88.6564314858616 x + 16.0798520316365
R² = 0.918899000147052

100

80
[A]/{SA} /g/L

60

40

20

0
0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1 1.2

[A]

Figure 1.1
Calculations of testing for the validity of the Langmuir isotherm
1/ST= 88.65g/mol

1/STK= 16.08
ST= 1/m

=1/88.65=0.011280315

=0.01128mol/g

Fraction of the total surface area occupied= {SA}/ ST

= 0.0098/ 0.01128

=0.08688

Surface area per gram= NmNA

=0.01128mol/g× 6.022×1023×0.5

=3.39528×1021 m2 g-1
 Graph showing Log{SA} AGAINST Log[A]
0
-1.4 -1.2 -1 -0.8 -0.6 -0.4 -0.2 0 0.2

-0.5

-1
Log{SA}

-1.5

-2
f(x) = 0.310013809208811 x − 2.06665689430809
R² = 0.44479865228962

-2.5

-3

Log[A]

Figure 1.2
Calculations

d) Log{SA}= LogK + nlog[A]

LogK= Intercept= 2.067

Log (2.067) =0.28

K=0.32

1/n = Slope= 0.31

1/0.31

n=3.2

DISCUSSION

"1.14.2: Adsorption- Langmuir Adsorption Isotherm- One Adsorbate." 10 Sept. 2022, ‘’ said
charcoal has a large surface area, it is proven in table1.1 by showing the volume of NaOH used
decreased after adsorption. The graphs in Figures 1 and 2 were made in order to assess the
reliability of the Langmuir and Freundlich isotherms. Thus, the amount of oxalic acid required to
create a monolayer of adsorbed molecules on the charcoal surface was calculated using the slope
of the Langmuir graph. It was determined that this concentration was 0.01128mol/g. Given that
charcoal has an estimated specific surface area of 3.39528×1021 m2 g-1, which is large enough to
adsorb more molecules.

One of the potential experimental errors was most likely overshooting in several titrations. Some
may be due to instrumentation problems, hence has impacted the experiment very bad, especially
shown in figure 1.2 graph very poor results and on the overall results of the experiment. The
instruments probably contributed 2% or less of the error. Despite their tediousness,
conductometric titrations will yield an exact equivalence point for this experiment, giving them a
superior choice for obtaining more precise results. Also the temperature could have caused these
poor results.

CONCLUSION

Given the linear graphs that were created from the findings, the hypotheses were shown to be
bad. The overall concentration of surface sites in the Langmuir isotherm was discovered to be
0.01128mol/g. At their greatest extent, the acid molecules occupied 0.8688 of the total surface
area. Char coal had a specific surface area of 3.39528×1021 m2 g-1. The values of n and k for the
Freundlich isotherm were discovered to be 0.32 and 3.2, respectively.

REFERENCES
1. Atkins, P., & de Paula, J. (2014). Atkins' Physical Chemistry. Oxford University Press.
2. Ruthven, D. M. (1984). Principles of Adsorption and Adsorption Processes. John Wiley
& Sons.
3. Skopp, J. Derivation of the Freundlich Adsorption Isotherm from Kinetics. Journal of
Chemical Education,2015 1341-1341.