A mathematical model for contaminant adsorption in packed columns using nonlinear mass transfer

Abstract: We propose a mathematical model for describing column adsorption processes where large amounts of contaminant are removed from a carrier gas. The large mass loss causes velocity and pressure to be variables which must then be determined along with the contaminant and gas concentrations and adsorbed quantity. The adsorption rate is described using a Langmuir sink, which is physically more sensible than the linear sink used in a previous study. The proposed model is solved numerically and using a traveling wave approach. The analytical solutions are consistent with previous models with fixed gas velocity and provide excellent agreement when validated against experimental data.