Adsorption Isotherms: Enlightenment of the Phenomenon of Adsorption

Adsorption is a process in which a substance that is in a liquid phase accumulates on a solid surface and is then removed from the liquid phase. An adsorption isotherm describes the equilibrium of adsorption of a substance on a surface at a constant temperature. It represents the amount of material bound to the surface as a function of the material present in the solution. In the adsorption process, the compound to be removed is called the adsorbate and the solid on which the compound is adsorbed is called the adsorbent. The affinity of the adsorbate for the adsorbent is quantified using adsorption isotherms. Adsorption isotherms are mathematical equations that describe the relationship between the amount of adsorbate adsorbed on an adsorbent and the concentration of adsorbate in solution when equilibrium has been reached at constant temperature. Adsorption isotherms are performed by giving a volume-determined solution containing a known amount of adsorbate along with various dosages of the adsorbent. The mixture is held at constant temperature with stirring until it reaches equilibrium. When this is the case, the concentration of the adsorbate in the aqueous phase is measured and the adsorption capacity at equilibrium for each experiment is calculated from the mass balance.