Adsorption of phenolic compounds from water on activated carbon: Prediction of multicomponent equilibrium isotherms using single-component data

Batch-type experiments were carried out to obtain equilibrium isotherms for the adsorption of phenol and m-cresol in aqueous solutions on activated carbon. Single solute systems, at 20 and 40 degrees C, were tested for Langmuir, Freundlich and Sips adsorption isotherms in the range of concentrations up to 200 mg/L. Equilibrium data were more closely followed by the Freundlich and Sips equations for all cases. Adsorption isotherms for bisolute systems at 20 degrees C, with two different initial concentrations of phenol and m-cresol, were predicted solely on the basis of single solute equilibrium parameters by using the equations of Butler and Ockrent and the IAS theory. The best agreement with the experimental loading values was afforded with the IAS theory based on Sips isotherm for pure compounds. However, this theory is found to be not able to predict with success the binary isotherms in this work where significant displacement of one solute by the other is observed. Chemical interactions in the adsorbed phase, estimated by a modified Butler-Ockrent model, can be responsible for this lack of success of the conventional IAS theory. The predictions based on the IAS theory are compared with the results of some empirical models.