SURFACE ADSORPTION FUNDAMENTALS

AND ITS APPLICATIONS

Dr. Mudassir Hasan

Chemical Engineering Department
King Khalid University Abha

2/7/2018 1
Outlines:
1. What is adsorption

2. Its types

3. Different kind of isotherms

4. Freundlich isotherms

5. Lnagmuir Isotherms

6. Applications

7. Current Research utilizing Adsorption Technique

2/7/2018 2
 What is adsorption
1. Adhesion of atoms, ions, or molecules of gas, liquid or dissolved solids
to a surface is called adsorption.

2. This process creates a film of the adsorbate (the molecules or atoms

being accumulated), on the surface of the adsorbent.

3. The molecules of gases or liquids or the solutes in solutions adhere to

the surface of the solids.

4. The substance on whose surface the adsorption occurs is known as

adsorbent.
5. The substance whose molecules get adsorbed on the surface of the
adsorbent ( i.e. solid or liquid ) is known as adsorbate.
2/7/2018 3
In a typical adsorption process, a foreign material in gaseous or liquid form
(the adsorptive) becomes attached to a solid or liquid surface, the
adsorbent, and forms the adsorbate, a complex between adsorptive and
adsorpt.

2/7/2018 4
Types of Adsorption
Depending upon the nature of forces existing between adsorbate molecules
and adsorbent, the adsorption can be classified into two types:
1. Physical adsorption (physisorption): If the force of attraction existing
between adsorbate and adsorbent are Vander Waal’s forces, the adsorption
is called physical adsorption.

2. Chemical adsorption (chemisorption): If the force of attraction existing

between adsorbate and adsorbent are almost same strength as chemical
bonds, the adsorption is called chemical adsorption.

chemisorption physisorption

2/7/2018 5
Adsorption Isotherms
Adsorption process is usually studied through graphs known as adsorption
isotherm. That is the amount of adsorbate on the adsorbent as a function of
its pressure or concentration at constant temperature

Type I Adsorption Isotherm depicts Monolayer

adsorption.

Examples of Type-I adsorption are Adsorption of

Nitrogen (N2) or Hydrogen (H) on charcoal at
temperature near to -1800°C.

2/7/2018 6
Type II Adsorption Isotherm :

The intermediate flat region in the

isotherm corresponds to monolayer
formation.

Examples of Type-II adsorption are

Nitrogen (N2 (g)) adsorbed at -1950°C on
Iron (Fe) catalyst and Nitrogen (N2 (g))
adsorbed at -1950°C on silica gel.

2/7/2018 7
Type III Adsorption Isotherm :

This isotherm explains the formation of

multilayer.

There is no flattish portion in the curve

which indicates that monolayer formation
is missing.

Examples of Type III Adsorption Isotherm

are Bromine (Br2) at 790°C on silica gel or
Iodine (I2) at 790°C on silica gel.

2/7/2018 8
Type IV Adsorption Isotherm:

 At lower pressure region of graph is

quite similar to Type II.
 This explains formation of monolayer
followed by multilayer.
 The intermediate flat region in the
isotherm corresponds to monolayer
formation.
 Examples of Type IV Adsorption Isotherm
are of adsorption of Benzene on Iron
Oxide (Fe2O3) at 500°C and adsorption
of Benzene on silica gel at 500°C.

2/7/2018 9
Type V Adsorption Isotherm:

Explanation of Type V graph is similar to Type

IV.

Example of Type V Adsorption Isotherm is

adsorption of Water (vapors) at 1000°C on
charcoal.

2/7/2018 10
Freundlich isotherms
In 1909, Freundlich expressed an empirical equation for quantitatively
understanding the adsorption from solution process.

2/7/2018 11
A convenient form of the Freundlich isotherm, is obtained by taking the
logarithm of both sides of Equation to obtain the following equation:

Since this Equation is in the form of a straight line it is possible to evaluate

the two constants based on the values of the slope and intercept of a
suitable plot.
log ( x / m )

slope = 1/n
Intercept = log k
log c

2/7/2018 12
the Freundlich Equation predicts that the relative absorptivity (x/m) will
increase indefinitely in a logarithmic fashion with the concentration.

 Which is unrealistic

as there are actually a finite number of

adsorption sites per gram of solid.
Once these sites are fully occupied, corresponding to the
maximum value of (x/m) , further increasing the solute concentration
will have no affect on the amount of solute adsorbed.

2/7/2018 13
Lnagmuir Isotherms
In 1916, Irving Langmuir published a new model. It is a semi-empirical
isotherm derived from a proposed kinetic mechanism.

This Equation can be rearranged to a straight-line form by simple algebra

to obtain the following form

c / (x / m)
This Equation permits the Langmuir
Slope = 1/b
constants, a & b, to be evaluated from the
Intercept = 1/a
intercept and slope, respectively .
c

2/7/2018 14
Langmuir Equation predicts that the relative adsorptivity (x/m) will
approach a finite limit as the concentration increases. This finite limit is
clearly seen when it is rearranged as follows

 It can be observed that as the concentration, c, becomes high the ratio

(x/m) approaches the limit of (a/b), a constant.

 The Langmuir treatment comes closer to accurately modeling the real

world.

2/7/2018 15
Applications

 in chromatography applications to successfully perform separations of

pigments, harmones etc.

 In the preparation of gas masks using activated charcoal to avoid poisonous

gases like CO, CH4 etc.

 Froth floatation method used for concentration of sulphide ores is based on

adsorption.

 Silica gel can be used to remove moisture and to control humidity.

 Ion exchange method used to soften water is based on adsorption.

2/7/2018 16
 The cleaning action of soaps and detergents.

 Formation of stable emulsions in cosmetics and syrups etc.

 In heterogeneous catalysis.

 Many experiments in the lab use adsorption as a process to calculate various

parameters like surface concentration, porosity, change in surface energies,
pore surface area etc.

2/7/2018 17
Current research

 Polyaniline (PANI) has been one of the most extensively studied adsorbents
due to its low cost and good environmental stability.

 Also the PANI nanofibers has good surface area

 Using carbon nanomaterials for Making composite with PANI is an excellent

way to enhance the adsorption capacity for the haeavy metal removals
from water/waste water

 Hence our new work invloves removal of Pb (lead) from water/ wastewater
using this nanocomposite material.

2/7/2018 18
Thank you

2/7/2018 19