Abstract
This study aimed to obtain equilibrium concentration on adsorption removal of ammonia nitrogen by activated carbon, to express the adsorption characteristics following Freundlich isotherm and also, based on the value obtained, to investigate the relationship between physical characteristics of activated carbon and dynamics of ammonia nitrogen removal by obtaining rate constant and effective pore diffusivity. The results summarized from this study are as follows. It was noted that powdered activated carbon showed better adsorption ability than granular activated carbon. The value of constant (f) of Freundlich isotherm of powered activated carbon was $4.6{\times}10^{-8}$ which is bigger than that of granular activated carbon. The adsorption rate constant on ammonia nitrogen of powered activated carbon with high porosity and low effective diameter was highest as 0.416 hr-1 and the effective pore diffusivity ($D_e$) was lowest as $1.17{\times}10^{-6}cm^2/hr$, and the value of ammonia nitrogen adsorption rate constant of granular activated carbon was $0.149{\sim}0.195hr^{-1}$. It was revealed that, with the same amount of dosage, the adsorptive power of activated carbon with lower effective diameter and bigger porosity was better and its rate constant was also high. With a little adsorbent dosage of 2 g, there was no difference removal ability of ammonia nitrogen as change of adsorption properties.