Performance of mesoporous silicas (MCM-41 and SBA-15) and carbon (CMK-3) in the removal of gas-phase naphthalene: adsorption capacity, rate and regenerability

The adsorption isotherms of naphthalene on three typical mesoporous adsorbents, mesosilicas MCM-41 and SBA-15, and mesocarbon CMK-3 were determined by column tests at 125 °C, with feed concentrations ranging from 7.63 × 10−5 to 4.64 × 10−2 mol m−3 (1.88 to 1140 ppm). The Langmuir model and constant-pattern wave propagation model were found to well fit the isotherms and the breakthrough curves, respectively. Regenerabilities of the mesoporous samples and a benchmark activated carbon (AC) were characterized based on thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The results show mesoporosity significantly reduced the internal mass-transfer resistance, contributing to facile desorption and to fast adsorption kinetics shown by high overall mass-transfer rate coefficient following the order of: CMK-3 > SBA-15 > MCM-41. Micropore–mesopore coexisting structures present in CMK-3 and SBA-15 facilitated the adsorption at very low concentrations due to micropore-filling, while greater surface hydrophobicity and micropore abundance on CMK-3 exhibited larger affinity for nonpolar naphthalene, rendering the highest adsorption capacity (1.014 mol m−3) among all sorbents including ACs. SBA-15 showed higher regenerability with a desorption temperature below 440 K, owing to the weaker binding and diffusion advantages contributed by the interconnectivity between primary mesopores.