• Korean Chemical Engineering Research
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• v.47 no.6
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• pp.747-754
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• 2009

In this study, adsorption isotherms of o-DCB(ortho-dichlorobenzene) on an activated carbon heated at $1000^{\circ}C$ for 24 hours were obtained by experiment and were predicted by using molecular simulation. The initial molecular structure of the activated carbon was designed on the basis of its molecular formula and functional groups ratio measured experimentally. Then, the molecular structure was optimized using the COMPASS(condensed-phase optimized molecular potentials for atomistic simulation studies) force field. The particle porosity, specific surface area, and particle density obtained from the optimized molecular structure of activated carbon were compared with those experimental data. The errors between experimental data and simulation results of the particle porosity, specific surface area, and particle density were shown as 7.6, 3.8, and 2.8%, respectively. Adsorption isotherms constants of o-DCB are calculated by the GCMC(grand canonical Monte Carlo) method in the optimized molecular structure of activated carbon. The simulation result of the adsorption isotherms showed an error of under 3%, compared to that of experimental data. Adsorption isotherms, adsorption heat and pore diffusivity of 2,3,7,8-TCDD(tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin) was finally obtained in the same molecular structure of the activated carbon as used for o-DCB. Thus, adsorption characteristics of persistent organic pollutants on activated carbon, which are not easy to experimentally evaluate, are predicted by the molecular simulation.