CERTIFICATE

This is to certify that Kartik Shaklana of class XII-F

has successfully and independently completed the
project on FREUNDLICH ADSORPTION ISOTHERM
under supervision and the project is done to my
satisfaction. All the data contained in the project is
genuine to the best of my knowledge.

Mrs. Pratibha Singh

Department of Chemistry
Mount Carmel School, AN.
 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

It gives me immense pleasure to express my

gratitude towards my Chemistry teacher Mrs.
Pratibha Singh for her guidance, support and
encouragement throughout the duration of the
project. Without her motivation and help, the
successful completion of this project would not
have been possible.
 INDEX

S. Topic
No.

1. OBJECTIVE AND THEORY

2. FACTS ABOUT ADSORPTION

3. TYPES OF ADSORPTION

4. ADSORPTION ISOTHERM

5. FREUNDLICH ADSORPTION ISOTHERM

6. ADSORBENTS

7. ADSORPTION MECHANISM

8. APPLICATIONS OF ADSORPTION

9. EXPERIMENT

10. BIBLIOGRAPHY
 OBJECTIVE
1. To determine the adsorption phenomenon.
2. To show how to determine the adsorption
parameters.

THEORY
Adhesion of atoms, ions, molecules of either gas,
liquid or dissolved solids to a surface is called
ADSORPTION.
The molecules of gases or liquids or the solutes in
solutions adhere to the surface of the solids. In
adsorption process, two substances are involved:
(i) Liquid on which adsorption occurs – ADSORBENT.
(ii) Gas/Liquid/Solute that gets adsorbed to the
surface - ADSORBATE.
 Facts about Adsorption
1. Adsorption is a spontaneous process.
For a reaction or process to be spontaneous, there must
be a decrease in free energy(G) of the system. During
the process of adsorption, randomness of the molecules
decreases i.e. S is negative & ∆H is also highly negative
(exothermic). Now, G is defined as: G = H - TS. As AH is
highly negative, therefore initially the process of
adsorption is spontaneous. But as the reaction
proceeds, AH becomes less negative as desorption also
begins to take place and a time is reached when ∆H =
TS. This is the stage of equilibrium.

2. Adsorption is an exothermic process

Adoption process takes place by adsorbate getting
adsorbed on adsorbent. Forces of attraction exist
between adsorbate and adsorbent & due to the forces
of attraction heat energy is released. So, adsorption is
an exothermic process.
 TYPES OF ADSORPTION
Depending upon the nature of forces existing between
adsorbate molecules and adsorbent, the adsorption is
of 2 types:

1. Physical Adsorption
If the force of attraction exists between adsorbate &
adsorbent and Van der Waals forces, then it is called
physical adsorption (Van der Waals Adsorption). In
physical adsorption the force of attraction between the
adsorbate and the adsorbent is very weak, therefore this
type of adsorption can be easily reversed by heating or
by decreasing the pressure.

2. Chemical Adsorption
If the force of attraction existing between adsorbate
and adsorbent are almost of the same strength as that
of chemical bonds, the adsorption is called chemical
adsorption (Langmuir Adsorption). In this, the force of
attraction is very strong. As a result of which,
adsorption cannot be easily reversed.
 Physisorption Chemisorption

Low heat of adsorption High heat of adsorption in

usually in the range of 20- the range of 80-240
40 KJ/mol. KJ/mol.
Forces of attraction are Van Forces of attraction are
der Waal Forces. Chemical Bond Forces.
It usually takes place at a It takes place at a high
low temperature and temperature.
decreases with increasing
temperature.
It is reversible It is irreversible.
It is related to the ease of The extent of adsorption is
liquefaction of gas. generally not related to the
liquefaction of the gas.

It is not specific It is highly specific.

It doesn't require any It requires activation
activation energy energy
 ADSORPTION ISOTHERM

Adsorption process is usually studied through graphs

known as Adsorption Isotherms. It is a plot of the
amount of adsorbate on the adsorbent as a function
of its pressure or concentration at constant
temperature. The mass of the adsorbent nearly
always normalizes the quantity adsorbed to allow
comparison of different materials.

From the above graph, we can predict that after

saturation, the pressure Ps, adsorption does not
occur anymore, because all the sites are occupied on
the surface of the adsorbent and further increase in
pressure does not affect the adsorption process, (at
high pressures, rate of adsorption becomes
independent of pressure.)
Difference Between Adsorption & Absorption
BASIS FOR ABSORPTION ADSORPTION
COMPARISON

Definition Absroption is the process

of taking or assimilating
Adsorption is the
process of adhesion of
substances into a surface molecules of liquid or
like a cell or across the gases onto the surfaces
tissues by the process of of a solid particle
diffusion or osmosis.

Phenomenon Absorption is a bulk

phenomenon where
Adsorption is a surface
phenomenon where the
molecules of absorbate molecules simply attach
enter into the absorbent to the surface of the
adsorbent

Heat Exchange Absorption is an

endothermic process as
Adsorption is an
exothermic process as
the energy is given from the energy of the
the outside of the surface, surface decreases as it
and the overall energy of leads to a reduction in
the absorbent increases residual forces of the
after absorption surface.

Rate Absorption takes place at

a uniform rate.
The rate of adsorption
decreases steadily until
it reaches equilibrium.

Temperature Absorption doesn't

depend on temperature.
Adsorption is a
temperature-
dependent
phenomenon.

Concentration The concentration of the

absorbate in the in the
The adsorbate is more
concentrated on the
absorbent is uniform after surface than the other
absorption. parts of the adsorbent.
 APPLICATIONS OF ADSORPTION
• For production of high vacuum.
• Gas masks containing activated charcoal are used for
breathing in coal mines. They adsorb poisonous gases.
• Silica and aluminum gels are used as adsorbents for
controlling humidity.
• Removal of coloring matter from solutions.
• It is used in heterogeneous catalysis.
• Separation of inert gas using coconut charcoal.
• As adsorption indicators
• In chromatographic analysis.
• Qualitative Quali analysis (e.g: lake test for Al³+)
Adsorption :
Adsorption is the adhesion of atoms, ions or
molecules from a gas, or dissolved solid to a
surface. The process creates a film of the
adsorbate on the surface of the adsorbent.

Adsorbent:
The substance on whose surface the adsorption
occurs is known as adsorbent.

Absorbate :
The substance whose molecules get adsorbed on
the surface of the adsorbent (the solid or liquid) is
known as adsorbate.
 ADSORBENTS
The material upon whose surface the adsorption takes
place is called an adsorbent. Activated carbon is used as
an adsorbent.

Adsorbents are used usually in the form of spherical

pellets, rods, mouldings or monoliths with hydrodynamic
diameters between 0.5 to 10 mm.
They must have high abrasion resistance, high thermal
stability and small pore diameters which results in higher
exposed surface area and hence higher surface capacity
for adsorption.
The adsorbents must also have a distinct pore structure
which enables fast transport of the gaseous vapours.

MOST INDUSTRIAL ADSORBENTS FALL INTO ONE OF

THE THREE CLASSES:
1. Oxygen-containing compounds: Are typically hydrophilic
and polar, include materials such as silica gel and zeolites.
2. Carbon-based compounds: Are typically hydrophobic
and non-polar, including materials such as activated
carbon and graphite
3. Polymer-based compounds: Are polar/nonpolar
functional groups in a porous polymer matrix. Activated
 FREUNDLICH ADSORPTION ISOTHERM

In 1909, Herbert Freundlich gave an expression

representing the isothermal variation of adsorption of a
quantity of gas adsorbed by unit mass of solid adsorbent
with gas pressure. This equation is known as Freundlich
Adsorption Isotherm (Freundlich Adsorption Equation).

The Freundlich Adsorption Isotherm is mathematically

expressed as:
1
𝑥
=𝑘 𝑃 𝑛
𝑚

It can also be written as:

𝑥 𝑘 +1
log =log log 𝑝
𝑚 𝑛
Where
X = mass of adsorbate
m = mass of adsorbent
P = pressure of the gaseous adsorbate
k and n are constants for a given adsorbate and
adsorbent at a given temperature

At high pressure, 1/n tends to 0. Hence extent

of adsorption becomes independent of
pressure.
 FACTORS AFFECTING
ADSORPTION
1. Nature of adsorbate & adsorbent

2. The surface area of adsorbent

3. Activation of adsorbent

4. Experimental condition (Temperature, pressure

etc.)
carbon is used for absorption of organic substances
and nonpolar adsorbates and it is also usually used
for waste gas & wastewater treatment. It is the most
widely used adsorbent since most of its chemical (E.g
- Surface groups) and physical properties (E.g. Pore
size distribution and surface area) can be tuned
according to what is needed. Its usefulness also
derives from its large micropore(and sometimes
mesopore) volume and the resulting high surface
area.

MECHANICAL ADSORPTION USING

ADSORBENT
 ADSORPTION IN LIQUIDS
Adoption in liquids can be understood as follows:

Water molecules present on the surface are attracted

inwards by the water molecules present in bulk. This
gives rise to surface tension. Whereas the water
molecules present within the bulk are equally
attracted from all the sides and the net force
experienced by the water molecules in the bulk is
zero. This clearly shows that particles at the surface
and those at the bulk are in different environments.

So, the molecules at the surface attract other

molecules from its surroundings to get adsorbed on
it so as to balance its forces and become more stable.
 EXAMPLES
• Activated charcoal adsorbs like CO, SO, Cl etc.
• Pt or Ni metal adsorbs any gas that comes in
contact with it: Hydrogenation of Oils
• Animal charcoal adsorbs acetic acid when
mixed with it and shaken vigorously.
• Molasses are decolourised by activated
charcoal.
• Aqueous solution of raw sugar, when passed
over beds of charcoal, becomes colourless as the
colouring substances are adsorbed by the
charcoal.
 EXPERIMENT
To verify the Freundlich Adsorption Isotherm.
Procedure:
1. Label 5 clean and dry 100 mL stoppered bottles
1,2,3,4,5.
2. Fill one burette with 0.5M acetic acid and the other
with distilled water.
3. Add volumes of acetic acid with water to the 5 bottles
as indicated in the following table.
BOTTLE NO. VOLUME OF VOLUME OF
0.5M ACETIC WATER (ml)
ACID (ml)
1. 50 0
2. 40 10
3. 30 20
4. 20 30
5. 10 40

4. Add 4g of activated charcoal to every bottle and shake

them. Then place them in a trough with water at room
temperature.
5. Let the bottles remain in the trough containing water
for 40-45 min & shake each from time to time. 6. Filter
the contents of each of the five bottles separately and
simultaneously and collect the filtrate in the five bottles.
7. Titrate 10 mL of each filtered solution against 0.1M
NaOH using Phenolphthalein as indicator. Take
concordant reading in each case.
 Observation Table
Bottle Volume C1 Equilibriu X x/m logC log(x/
No. (mL) of mconcent m)
0.1M ration
NaOH used (C₂) after
for 10 mL adsorptio
filtrate n
after
adsorption

1. 32 0.5 0.32 0.18 0.45 -0.495 -0.347

2. 24 0.4 0.24 0.16 0.40 -0.620 -0.398

3. 15 0.3 0.15 0.15 0.375 -0.824 -0.426

4. 10 0.2 0.10 0.10 0.25 -1.000 -0.602

5. 3 0.1 0.03 0.07 0.175 -1.523 -0.757

 BIBLIOGRAPHY

•NCERT TEXTBOOK
• www.wikipedia.com
• www.sciencedirect.com