Masters Theses

Abstract

"The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of certain colloidal materials and long-chain polyelectrolytes on the adsorption efficiency of some selected activated carbons which were manufactured from both coal-based and lignite-based materials. Phenol was used as the adsorbate to determine the adsorption efficiency.

At the beginning of the study, four brands of activated carbon (i.e. Filtrasorb 400, Darco, Norit, and Witco 256) were tried, based on the preliminary adsorption data, two activated carbons were subsequently selected for use throughout the entire study. These were Calgon's Filtrasorb 400 and American Norit's Norit activated carbons. The former represents a coal-petroleum-based activated carbon while the latter represents a lignite-based activated carbon. The colloidal materials employed were three clay minerals (montmorillonite, illite, and kaolinite) and humic acids which were extracted from a coal-like, humus rich substance called "Leonardite". The polyelectrolytes used were Dow's Purifloc C41 (cationic), Purifloc A23 (anionic), and Purifloe N20 (non-ionic).

The experimental approach used in this study consisted of three steps. The first step was to determine the rate of phenol adsorption from an aqueous solution in order to establish the equilibrium time. The second step was to evaluate the adsorption isotherms without the presence of any interfering substances in solution. The last step was to establish the new adsorption isotherms when various concentrations of colloidal materials or polyelectrolytes were introduced into the aqueous solution. The phenol concentration was determined by either UV spectroscopy or an amino antipyrine colorimetric technique.

Results of this study indicate that little, if any, inhibition of phenol adsorption took place due to any polyelectrolytes, clays, or humic acid employed in this study. The concentrations of inhibiting agents were varied on different test runs, but no effect on phenol adsorption was noted by increasing concentrations. The maximum concentrations used in this study were far above any concentrations ever possibly applied and/or present in field conditions. For example, the maximum amounts of inhibiting material used in this study were 500 mg/1 for polyelectrolytes, 12.5 g/1 for all clay materials, and 440 mg/1 measured as COD for humic acid"-- Abstract, pp. ii-iii

Advisor(s)

Huang, Ju-Chang, 1941-2018

Committee Member(s)

Lowsley, Ivon
Venable, Raymond L., 1935-2008

Department(s)

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering

Degree Name

M.S. in Civil Engineering

Publisher

University of Missouri--Rolla

Publication Date

1975

Pagination

112 pages

Rights

© 1975 Jack Taylor Garrett, Jr., All rights reserved.

Document Type

Thesis - Open Access

File Type

text

Language

English

Thesis Number

T 4032

Print OCLC #

5982097

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