Masters Theses

Date of Award

12-1993

Degree Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science

Major

Civil Engineering

Major Professor

Wayne T. Davis

Committee Members

Terry Miller, James Smoot, Maureen Dever

Abstract

Research has been conducted by Textiles and Nonwoven Development Center (TANDEC) and the University of Tennessee Civil and Environmental Engineering Department to investigate the possible use of non-woven materials impregnated with activated carbon as a potential liner for chemical warfare suits. The objectives of this thesis were to evaluate the breakthrough time and capacity of these materials in a bench scale adsorption system, and then conduct preliminary modeling of the system using existing adsorption theory. The theory is based on the adsorbent and adsorbate following a Freundlich type isotherm of the form:

Ce = α (Xsat)β where Ce is the concentration of the adsorbate in the gas phase, α is an adjustable constant with units of concentration, β is an adjustable constant that is a pure number and Xsat is the solid phase adsorption capacity (gram of adsorbate/gram of adsorbent). This representation allows one to develop a set of equations that describe the velocity of the mass transfer zone, the width of the zone, and the time required for the zone to pass through the bed.

In order to make the appropriate comparisons to existing theory, the activated carbon was evaluated to determine pore volume, surface area and density. This allowed for a complete physical characterization of the adsorbent.

This study of carbon loaded laminates provided insight to how the bed weight, bed depth and carbon distribution affect the breakthrough time and adsorption wave. In order to fully understand how the weight and depth affect the adsorption system, the adsorption mass transfer zone was evaluated. The shape of the adsorption zone changed as these characteristics were varied which in turn affected the point at which breakthrough occurred and the time required to reach total capacity.

The experimental information in conjunction with existing adsorption theoretical models were used to develop a computer program to attempt to simulate a thin bed adsorption systems. The theoretical model was based on conventional thick bed adsorption theory. Although the theoretical results were not directly comparable to the experimental, useful information was gathered for understanding the development of the adsorption zone.

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