Heterogeneous Sorption Processes in Subsurface Systems Development and Application of Models to Batch Systems
Abstract
Contamination of sediment, soil, and subsurface environments by hydrophobic organic compounds has led to significant research in sorption processes. Many mathematical models have been formulated for modeling the sorption process; most use a deterministic framework and assume an idealized homogeneous sorbent structure. However, natural systems display heterogeneities at scales ranging from the megascale used to describe large natural systems to the microscale of an individual grain or aggregate. Experimental investigations of sorption processes are often conducted in batch systems in an effort to isolate the sorption process from advective and dispersive phenomena. Modeling of such systems requires a description of sorption equilibrium and rate properties. Most sorption models assume the solid phase of a bulk sample to be homogeneous with respect to sorption equilibrium and rate properties, although many experimental investigations have demonstrated otherwise. This article provides an overview of models formulated to address sorption equilibrium and rate property heterogeneities within a bulk sample. A Subset of the models is fit to an experimental data set.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jan 01, 1992
- Accession Number
- ADA281562
Entities
People
- Cass T. Miller
- Joseph A. Pedit
Organizations
- University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill