MODELING AND SIMULATION OF FIXED BED ADSORBER FOR THE REMOVAL OF MERCURY FROM WASTEWATER

Abstract

The adsorption of Mercury ions onto granular activated carbon (CAC) in a single component system has been studied using fixed bed adsorbers. A general rate model which considers film-pore diffusion has been developed and was solved numerically by combination of finite element method (FEM) and orthogonal collocation method (OCM) to describe the experimental breakthrough data for the metal ions proved to be very effective and robust. This model takes account of both external and internal mass transfer resistance as well as axial dispersion with non-linear isotherm. The effects of flow rate, bed height and 'initial metal ion concentration, particle radius has been studied during the simulation. Simulation elucidated that the film-pore diffusion model used for fixed bed adsorber provide a good description of the adsorptiOn process of metal ion Hg (II) onto activated carbon in fixed bed adsorber.