| Abstract: | An experimental study of the extents and rates of adsorption of several polymers from various solvents onto activated carbon has been carried out. The polymers studied included polystyrene, polybutadiene, butadiene–styrene copolymers and poly(methyl methacrylate). The solvents included toluene, cumene, decalin, 2-pentanone, and methyl ethyl ketone (MEK). Polystyrene is adsorbed from the different solvents in the order MEK, 2-pentanone, cumene, toluene, decalin. The adsorption from toluene, decalin, and cumene is in the order polystyrene, polybutadiene butadiene—styrene copolymer. The fact that the copolymer is adsorbed less than either homopolymer is striking. The variation of molecular weight distribution with extent of adsorption has been studied. It was found that low molecular weight polymer was preferentially adsorbed in the early stages of the experiment, but high molecular weight polymer was adsorbed at longer times. The apparent adsorption rate constants have been evaluated for the various systems and resolved into external mass transfer, internal (intraparticle) mass transfer, and adsorption rate constants. The experimental data have been applied to the prediction of the elution of the polymers from chromatographic columns packed with activated carbon. |
