The hydrophobic micropores of active carbon were filled with the four adsorption parameters could be determined by a a mixture of water and ethanol by adsorbing their mixed vapors combination of volumetric and gravimetric methods, if the (H 2 O/EtOH ร
3/1) on active carbon. The desorption isotherm of molecular weight of the two components is significantly difeach component from the micropores has been determined simulferent.
taneously at 25ะC by a combination of volumetric and gravimetric
In this report, using the volumetric-gravimetric method, methods. A more selective desorption of water than that of ethanol we tried to measure separately the desorption isotherms of was discovered from the measured isotherms. It has been clarified
water and ethanol of a mixture of water and ethanol of from the present finding that the separation of water and ethanol known concentration that filled the micropores in advance.
could be carried out by means of an adsorption technique using a hydrophobic active carbon adsorbent. The preferential desorption
We could determine the water and ethanol isotherms as a of water may be attributed to the weak interaction of water with function of their partial pressure and found that water was the hydrophobic micropore surface in comparison with the interacselectively desorbed from the hydrophobic micropores of tion of ethanol with the micropore surface. The adsorption energy active carbon. The desorption isotherm shown in the present of water on the micropore surface is 17-32 kJ mol 01 at low coverwork suggests a possibility of a new recovery method of age, while that of ethanol on the micropore surface is 43-52 kJ high-purity ethanol by a simple adsorption-desorption cycle mol 01 . The possibility of enrichment of ethanol from its dilute with a much lower energy requirement than that of the conaqueous solution made by fermentation was discussed on the basis ventional distillation method.
of the present desorption data.