Comparison of field and laboratory H2S adsorption capacity of activated carbon

Abstract

A comparison study of fixed-bed H2S adsorption capacity of a commercial activated carbon both in the laboratory and in the field was onducted. Pure H2S gas at an inlet concentration of 10 000 ppm was used for the laboratory test, while the field activated carbon was subjected to adsorption of sewage gas with H2S concentrations ranging from 0.1 to 28 ppm with an average concentration of 5.3 ppm. The carbons were tested under gas/carbon contact times of 1, 2, 3, and 4 s. Based on the results obtained at a carbon/gas contact time 3 s and a H2S breakthrough concentration of 1 ppm, the H2S adsorption capacity of the field activated carbon was found to be only 30% of that in the laboratory. It is possible that the adsorption of other volatiles has resulted in a significant decrease in the activated carbon's H2S removal efficiency.