Determination of effective mass transfer coefficient (K_c) of patulin adsorption on activated carbon packed bed columns with recycling

In this study, a simple and effective technique for determining overall mass transfer coefficients in fixed bed sorption columns with recycling is presented. The overall mass transfer coefficient (K_c) of patulin for adsorption on activated carbon packed columns were determined at different flow rates. The K_c values increased from 4.74 × 10^-2 to 12.96 × 10^-2 cm s^-1 when the flow rate increased from 5 to 100 ml min^-1, which is a very clear indication of turbulence created through the column to eliminate the film resistances on the activated carbon surface.