ABSTRACT
Surfactant-enhanced carbon regeneration (SECR) is a novel, in-situ, low-energy method of regenerating spent adsorbent. In SECR, a concentrated surfactant solution (regenerant solution) is passed through the adsorber after the carbon is saturated with organic sorbate. The organic sorbate desorbs and is solubilized into the regenerant solution. The result is a very concentrated solution containing the original organic for disposal or recovery of the solute and the surfactant. The residual surfactant on the carbon is then washed off with a water flush step. Since the surfactant used can be nontoxic and biodegradable, this flush effluent can be directly diverted to normal sewage systems. Preliminary data are presented in this chapter for a model phenolic solute that indicates the feasibility of this new regeneration technique.
