ADSORPTION

Adsorption is defined as the deposition of

molecular species onto the surface. The
molecular species that gets adsorbed on the
surface is known as adsorbate and the
surface on which adsorption occurs is
known as adsorbent. Common examples of
adsorbents are clay, silica gel, colloids,
metals etc.

Adsorption is a surface phenomenon. The

process of removal of adsorbent from the
surface of adsorbate is known as
desorption.
Mechanism of Adsorption
The amount of heat evolved when one
mole of the adsorbate is adsorbed on
adsorbent is called enthalpy of adsorption.
Adsorption is an exothermic process and
enthalpy change is always negative. When
adsorbate molecules are adsorbed on the
surface, freedom of movement of
molecules become restricted and this
results in decrease in entropy. Adsorption
is a spontaneous process at constant
pressure and temperature, thus Gibb’s free
energy is also decreased.
Types of Adsorption
There are two types of Adsorption –
Physical Adsorption or Physiosorption and
Chemical Adsorption or Chemisorption.
Physical Adsorption
It involves adsorption of gases on solid
surface via weak van der Waal’s forces.
Characteristics of Physical Adsorption
 There is no specificity in case of
physical adsorption. Every gas is
adsorbed on the surface of the solid.
 Nature of the adsorbate. Easily
liquefiable gases are strongly adsorbed
physically.
 Physical adsorption is reversible in
nature. If pressure is increased volume
of gas decreases as a result more gas is
adsorbed. So, by decreasing the
pressure, gas can be removed from the
solid surface. Low temperature
promotes physical adsorption and high
temperature decreases the rate of
adsorption.
 More surface area more is the rate of
adsorption. Porous substances and
finely divided metals are good
adsorbents.
 Physical adsorption is an exothermic
process.
 No activation energy is needed.
Chemical Adsorption or Chemisorption
When the gas molecules or atoms are held
to the solid surface via chemical bonds,
this type of adsorption is chemical
adsorption or chemisorption.
Characteristics of Chemical Adsorption
 This type of adsorption is specific as
compared to physical adsorption.
Adsorption occurs only if there is
formation of chemical bonds between
the adsorbate and adsorbent.
 Chemical adsorption is irreversible. It
is an exothermic process but the
process occurs slowly at low
temperature. Chemisorption is
 accompanied by increase in
temperature. High pressure promotes
chemisorption.
 Chemisorption increases with increase
in surface area.
 Due to chemical bond formation
enthalpy of chemisorption is high.
 Activation energy is needed.
 It results in unimolecular layer.
Adsorption isotherms
Adsorption isotherm is a graph or a
relation between the amounts of
adsorbate adsorbed on the surface of
adsorbent and pressure at a constant
temperature.
Different adsorption isotherm was studied
by different scientists-
Freundlich Adsorption Isotherm
Freundlich proposed an empirical
relationship between amount of gas
adsorbed by unit mass of adsorbent and
pressure at a particular temperature.
Following equation was proposed for
freundlich adsorption isotherm-
x/m= k. p1/ n (n > 1)

x is the mass of the gas adsorbed

m is the mass of the adsorbent
p is the pressure
k and n are constants which depends on the
nature of the adsorbent and the gas at a
particular temperature.
Taking log of the above equation, the
following equation will be observed
log x/m = log k +1/n log p
x/m is plotted on y axis and log p is on x
axis. If straight line is observed than only
freundlich isotherm is verified.

Slope gives 1/n and intercept gives log k.

The value of 1/n varies from 0 to 1.
If 1/n is 0, adsorption is independent of
pressure.
If 1/n is 1, adsorption changes with
pressure.
Adsorption from solution phase
Solids also adsorb from solutions. For
example, when a solution of acetic acid in
water is mixed with charcoal, some of the
acid is adsorbed by the charcoal.
Characteristics of adsorption from the
solution phase-
 Adsorption decreases with increase in
temperature.
 More surface area more is the rate of
adsorption.
 Adsorption also depends on
concentration of solute in a solution.
 Adsorption also depends on nature of
adsorbate and nature of adsorbent.
Freundlich explains the adsorption from
solution phase using concentration of the
solution instead of pressure
x/m = kC1/n
Taking log of the above equation, the
following reaction will be obtained-
log x/m = log k +1/n log C
x/m against log C will give straight line.
Factors affecting the Adsorption
  Temperature is an important factor that
affects the adsorption. Adsorption
occurs best at low temperature. As
adsorption is an exothermic process,
low temperature will derive the forward
reaction.
 Adsorption increases with increase in
pressure up to certain extent until
saturation is reached. After saturation,
has achieved no more adsorption will
occur irrespective of the pressure
applied. The relationship between the
extent of adsorption and temperature at
any constant pressure is
called Adsorption Isobar.
 As adsorption is a surface
phenomenon, surface area will increase
the rate of adsorption.
 Easily liquefiable gases are easily
adsorbed.
Applications of Adsorption
 High vacuum can be created using
adsorption strategy. For creating
vacuum activated charcoal is used.
 Gas masks used in coal mines are based
on adsorption principle. These gas
masks are used to adsorb poisonous
gases. This makes the air purified for
breathing.
 Silica and aluminum gels are used to
adsorb moisture to reduce humidity.
 Noble gases can be separated using
charcoal as an adsorbent.
 Adsorption of drugs are used to kill
germs.
 Chromatographic analysis is based on
phenomenon of adsorption.
 Sugar is decolorized by treating sugar
solution with charcoal powder. The
latter adsorbs the undesirable colors
present.
 Adsorption also plays an important role
in paint industry. The paint should not
contain dissolved gases, as otherwise
 the paint does not adhere well to the
surface to be painted and thus will have
a poor covering power.
 This method is also used in the
formation of the stable emulsions in
cosmetics and syrups.
 The cleaning action of soaps and
detergents are also due to adsorption.
 CONTENTS
 What is Adsorption ?
 Mechanism of Adsorption.
 Types of Adsorption.
i. Physical Adsorption.
ii. Chemisorption.
 Freundlich Adsorption
Isotherm.
 Adsorption from solution
phase.
 Factors affecting the
Adsorption.
 Applications of Adsorption.
 Experiment.