The dynamic adsorption behaviour of volatile organic compounds on activated carbon honeycomb monoliths

Adsorption offers an efficient technology for removing volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from air pollution sources. Often activated carbons (ACs) are employed owing to their large specific surface areas, high micropore volumes, rapid adsorption capabilities and selectivity towards organic molecules compared to water vapour or air. However, when large volumes of gas have to be treated pressure drop limitations may arise from the use of conventional adsorption beds. For these applications conformation of the adsorption bed as honeycomb monoliths take advantage of the negligible pressure drop of these structures. Commercially available ACs were conformed as honeycomb monoliths with a magnesium silicate clay as binder. The textural and mechanical properties of the raw materials and the monolith composites were determined. These results were analysed together with the dynamic adsorption capacities towards o -dichlorobenzene ( o -DCB) a chlorinated probe molecule used to simulate a dioxin. With this data, criteria by which the dynamic adsorption capacity could be related to the textural properties of the adsorption units were established.