Thermodynamic study of adsorption alcohols on natural clay by inverse gas chromatography

Abstract

The adsorption of VOCs onto porous clays has been considered as an innovative research of environmental treatment. This work was performed to investigate the adsorption properties of alcohols vapors (ethanol and methanol) on natural clay using inverse gas chromatography (IGC). This method was based on the principle of the chromatography of elution in gas phase. From the IGC data, the adsorption isotherms of alcohols on natural clay were determined. These isotherms were used to calculate the thermodynamic parameters such as enthalpy and entropy and to find the appropriate adsorption model. Finally, the adsorptive performance in terms of adsorption of alcohols by natural clay has been compared to activated carbon.

Keywords: Adsorption, Elution chromatography, isotherms, enthalpy, entropy.