ADSORPTION

ION EXCHANGE RESINS

BIOCHEMISTRY
Dr. Nasim
A P Biochem

Lecture format
Introduction to Topic (5mins)
Details of the Topic (30 mins)
Class Test (15 mins)
(Marks will added to Internal assessment)

ADSORPTION
Adsorption, the binding of molecules or particles
to a surface.
Absorption, the filling of pores in a solid.

Examples:
Activated carbon, silica gel, and alumina

 Activated carbon is produced by roasting organic

material to decompose it to granules of carbon
Commonly used materials: coconut shell, wood,
and bone.

 Adsorption is a term which is completely

different from Absorption .
While absorption means uniform distribution of
the substance throughout the bulk, adsorption
essentially happens at the surface of the
substance.

Sorption
When both Adsorption and Absorption
processes take place simultaneously, the process
is called sorption.

 Physical adsorption is caused mainly by van der

Waals forces and electrostatic forces between
adsorbate molecules and the atoms of adsorbent
surface.

 Adsorbents are characterized by surface

properties such as surface area and polarity

1. Surface area:
A large specific surface area is preferable for
providing large adsorption capacity

 The size of the micropores

2. Surface polarity
adsorbents having affinity for polar substances
such as water or alcohols are called as
hydrophillic.
Examples:
aluminosilicates such as zeolites, porous alumina,
silica gel or silica-alumina.

 adsorbents having affinity for polar substances

called as "hydrophobic" adsorbents.
Carbon, polymer adsorbents and silicalite are
typical nonpolar adsorbents.

 Depending on the nature of attractive forces

existing between the adsorbate and adsorbent,
adsorption can be classified as:
i) Physical adsorption
ii) Chemical adsorption

 Physical adsorption
the forces of attraction between the molecules of
the adsorbate and the adsorbent are of the weak
van der Waals' type.
Since the forces of attraction are weak, the process
of physisorption can be easily reversed by
heating or decreasing the pressure of the
adsorbate (as in the case of gases).

 Chemical adsorption (Chemisorption)

In chemisorption, the forces of attraction
between the adsorbate and the adsorbent are
very strong;
the molecules of adsorbate form chemical bonds
with the molecules of the adsorbent present in
the surface.

 Factors Influencing Adsorption

1. Surface Area

2. Nature of the Adsorbate

Adsorption of a solute is inversely proportional
to its solubility in the solvent.
The greater the solubility, the stronger the solutesolvent bond and the small the extent of
adsorption.

 In general, the solubility of any organic

compound in water decreases with increasing
chain length.

3. Molecular sizes.

4. Charge (Ionic species):

minimum for the charged species
maximum for the neutral species.

 Decreasing adsorption with increasing ionization

has been observed for many organic acids.
Adsorption of propionic acid on carbon
decreases markedly with increasing pH to a
minimum in the range pH 3.5 to 5.5

 Studies on amphoteric compound indicate an

adsorption maximum at the isoelectric point, or
that pH at which both the acidic end and the
basic end of the compound are ionized and the
compound bears a net charge of zero.

5. pH
Because hydrogen and hydroxide ions are
adsorbed quite strongly, the adsorption of other
ions is influence by the pH of the solution.
In general, adsorption of typical organic
pollutant from water is increased with
decreasing pH.

6. Temperature
increases with decreasing temperature.

7. Adsorption of Mixed Solutes

The degree of mutual inhibition of competing
adsorbates should be related to the
relative sizes of the molecules being adsorbed,
relative adsorptive affinities,
relative concentrations of solutes.

8. Nature of the Adsorbent

APPLICATIONS
Purification of water

 Charcoal is used as a decoloriser

Treatment of Diahroea

 Silica and alumina gels are used as adsorbents

for removing moisture and for controlling
humidity of rooms.

Activated charcoal is used in gas masks as it

adsorbs all the toxic gases and vapours and
purifies the air for breathing.

Quiz
Definition of Adsorption
Difference between Absorption and Adsorption
What are different types of adsorption
Enlist factors affecting adsorption
Applications of Adsorption