Experimental study of butane adsorption on coconut based activated carbon for different gas concentrations, temperatures and relative humidities

ABSTRACT

In this paper, the adsorption behaviour of activated carbon was investigated experimentally for changing butane concentration, temperature and relative humidity. Throughout the study, the coconut-based activated carbon was used. During the tests applied for butane concentration of 2, 4, 8, 20, 40 and 80 ppm, the temperature was taken as 15, 23 and 33°C for a relative humidity of 50, 70 and 90%. The results showed that butane concentration had a direct relationship with adsorption. However, temperature and adsorption were inversely proportional. As a result of the adsorption between activated carbon and butane, it led to physical adsorption as one of the most important types of adsorption due to Van der Waals forces among molecules. To create physical adsorption, lower temperature ranges were more convenient. The relative humidity of the air reduced the time to reach the maximum saturation rate. The increased relative humidity also reduced the amount of butane adsorbed. Also, 50% relative humidity range was an important turning point. Relative humidity affected the adsorption of butane at a relative humidity of 50%. However, the relative humidity at 70 and 90% significantly reduced butane adsorption; on the other hand, it considerably increased the adsorption of moisture.

GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT

KEYWORDS:

• Adsorption
• filtration
• activated carbon
• air pollution
• butane

Acknowledgement

The authors are thankful to the Institute of Process Engineering of the University of Duisburg-Essen for allowing Dr. Görgülü to conduct experiments at the during his time as a research assistant. We also express thanks to Prof. Dr.-Ing Klaus Gerhard Schmidt, Dr.-Ing Uta Sager and Prof Dr.-Ing Frank Schmidt for their kind helps throughout the experiment

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

ORCID

Hüseyin Yağlı http://orcid.org/0000-0002-9777-0698

Yıldız Koç http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2219-645X

Ali Koç http://orcid.org/0000-0002-7388-2628

Nurhan Adil Öztürk http://orcid.org/0000-0002-9551-8122

Özkan Köse http://orcid.org/0000-0002-9069-1989