| Abstract: | The metal removal capability of Granular Activated Carbon (GAC) and natural zeolite is evaluated in this study using zinc as a model adsorbate. The equilibrium and kinetic characteristics of zinc adsorption on GAC and natural zeolite were studied in batch stirred tank experiments. The adsorption data for both systems were fitted by Langmuir, Freundlich, Langmuir-Freundlich, and Redlich-Peterson models. The parameters in the adsorption isotherms were estimated from the experimental equilibrium data using MATLAB. Using these data the best isotherm can be selected. The effect of initial concentration on the transient behaviour of zinc removal by GAC and natural zeolite was investigated. In this work two surface reaction models, namely a second order reversible reaction model and a second order irreversible reaction model for describing Zn(II) removal by GAC and natural zeolite, were employed. Modelling studies using two different second order surface reaction models demonstrated that it is very difficult to come to a general conclusion about which model has better ability. |
