Diffusion of 1,2-Dichloropropane in Particles of Activated Carbon

Abstract

The diffusion of 1, 2-dichloropropane in activated carbon particles was studied during adsorption and desorption. Measurements were performed in adsorbers with a bed height equal to the diameter of the activated carbon particles, using air as the carrier gas. Based on the assumption that the porous medium was quasi-homogeneous, effective diffusion coefficients were calculated from the experimental data for two adsorption stages and one desorption stage. Although the effective diffusion coefficient, as calculated from the desorption data, agreed to within an order of magnitude with the values obtained from the adsorption data, its absolute value was significantly lower. Comparison of the values for the effective diffusion coefficients measured experimentally with those calculated by means of a model showed that molecular diffusion rather than Knudsen diffusion occurred during the transport of 1, 2-dichloropropane in activated carbon particles