ABSTRACT
The adsorptive performance of GAC is a consequence of capacity and kinetics. The conventional
approach to evaluate this performance is based on a two-step procedure [1,2]: (1) generation of
equilibrium isotherms and (2) operation of pilot columns. An isotherm indicates the capacity of a
carbon for removing organics from a particular water or waste and may be used to eliminate
some carbons from further consideration. Adsorption kinetics can affect the efficiency of carbon
use greatly. This work can, unfortunately, require a fair amount of money, time, and effort.
Mathematical modeling could be helpful in the stages of design and operation, at least in terms
of reducing the amount of required experimentation and providing quantitative answers to the
influence of process variables.
