Fixed bed adsorption of chromium and the Weibull function

Abstract

Fixed bed adsorption of toxic metal ions such as chromium is a research area of current interest. Mathematical models are routinely used to summarize breakthrough results of metal ions, which often display varying degrees of curve asymmetry. This work introduces the Weibull function as a simple model for correlating asymmetric breakthrough curves of chromium. The Weibull function is similar to the widely used Bohart-Adams model in several aspects. For example, they both produce sigmoid or S-shaped curves. Their simple mathematical forms can be linearized and linear regression can then be used to estimate their parameters. However, the Weibull function, unlike the Bohart-Adams model, can track the trajectory of asymmetric breakthrough data. Applying the Weibull function to published breakthrough data of chromium, this article illustrates its outright superiority versus the Bohart-Adams model in representing highly asymmetric data. Both equations provide satisfactory fits to breakthrough data exhibiting a moderate degree of curve asymmetry.