Binary and ternary adsorption of n-alkane mixtures on activated carbon

The adsorption isotherms of the binary n-alkane mixtures n-hexane/n-octane, n-octane/n-tetradecane, and n-hexane/n-tetradecane on the activated carbon TA 95 are measured at 298 K and described with mathematical functions. About 40 experimental values of the adsorption excess of the ternary mixture n-hexane/n-octane/n-tetradecane on activated carbon TA 95 at 298 K are gas chromatographically measured inside the ternary triangle. The ternary data are represented in the three-dimensional space with the help of transformation of coordinates and by utilization of the conception of the quasi-two-component representation of the mole fractions. A consistency test for the specific wetting Gibbs energies calculated from the binary data is carried out. The possibilities for a mathematical prediction of ternary data from adsorption data for the constituent binary mixtures are proved. (C) 1999 Academic Press.