Determination of intraparticle kinetic parameters for adsorption of binary solutions on activated carbon

Abstract The matrix of intraparticle mass transfer coefficients for competitive adsorption of two dissolved organic components on activated carbon is determined from kinetic curves obtained in a continuous stirred tank adsorber using a nonlinear regression method. Stability considerations are included in the parameter estimation procedure. The applied mathematical approach guarantees the stability of the system of differential equations in the steady state of the considered process. The results for the sorption of phenol and indole demonstrate the important role of cross-term coefficients for the kinetics of this process.