Trihalomethanes adsorption on activated carbon fiber and granular activated carbon

Isotherms and the effects on activated carbon fiber (ACF), compared with granular activated carbon (GAC), adsorption of trihalomethans (THMs) in water were studied. It was found that the isotherms for ACF or GAC were not agree to Langmuir equation well, but successfully correlated by Freundlich equation, and the coefficients of Freundlich isotherm were given and compared to isotherms reported in the literatures for THMs. ACF and GAC adsorbing THMs was exothermic, isotheric heats of adsorption were calculated and increased with increasing bromine substitution in CHCl3. The adsorptive capacity of ACF was about two-fold greater than that of GAC, and increased with THMs more hydrophobic or bromine substitution. pH value and temperature had no significant effect on the adsorptive capacity of ACF. The adsorptive capacity of GAC was decreased with temperature slightly. The adsorptive capacities of ACF or GAC was increased with the THMs initial concentration rising. Fixed-bed reactor studies were measured, the amount of THMs adsorbed on ACF column at saturation was much greater than that of GAC at the same operating conditions, and the running time of ACF column was two-fold longer than that of GAC column. The mass transfer zones of ACF column were less than those of GAC column and decreased as the chlorine atoms in CHCl3 substituted by bromine atoms, while the mass transfer zones of GAC column were quite uniform.