ADSORPTIVE REMOVAL OF FURFURAL IN PACKED COLUMN

Abstract

In previous study, activated carbon commercial grade (ACC) and bagasse fly ash (BFA) were used as adsorbents for the removal of furfural in batch adsorption study [Sahu et al., 2008 a. b]. The present study was carried out to evaluate the performance of ACC and BFA packed column for adsorptive removal of furfural from aqueous solution. The effect of various parameters like bed height (Z = 15-60 cm), flow rate (Q = 0.02-0.04 L/min), initial concentration of furfural (Co = 50-200 mg/L) and column diameter (D=2-4 cm) on the breakthrough curve of furfural adsorption were investigated. Adams—Bohart, Bed-Depth Service-Time, Thomas, Yoon—Nelson, Clark and Wolborska models were applied to the experimental data for the prediction of the breakthrough point, and to determine the characteristic parameters of the column. Error analysis showed that the Yoon—Nelson model best described the experimental breakthrough curve, while Wolborska model showed good prediction of breakthrough curve for the relative concentration region up to 0.5 for furfural adsorption in ACC packed column. For BFA packed column, Thomas model well represented the experimental data points under all experimental conditions. It was obserbed that both ACC and BFA can be utilized efficiently in continuous system for the removal of furfural. Overall, BFA packed column showed higher removal efficiency as compared to ACC packed column at all Q , Z and Co