Removal of Pah Compounds by Adsorption

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are well known for their toxic, carcinogenic, and mutagenic effects. Their removal from commercial products using adsorption has been intensively studied. Because of the dimensions of the typical PAH molecules (e.g., naphthalene, anthracene, pyrene) mesoporous materials seem to be adequate for this purpose. PAH adsorption in non-ordered activated carbons has been reported. In this study, the adsorption of polyaromatic compounds (naphthalene, pyrene and anthracene) on commercial activated carbons was evaluated using batch and chromatographic methods. From these experiments, adsorption equilibria and kinetics were determined and correlated using commonly used models (Langmuir model and pore diffusion model, respectively). The estimated parameters can then be used to scale-up units for PAH removal from heavy oil streams.