Maximum permissible breakthrough concentration

To prevent an excessive temperature increase across the bed due to the heat of adsorption, inlet solvent concentrations are usually limited to about 50 g/m. In most systems the solvent-laden air stream is directed upwards through a fixed carbon bed. As soon as the maximum permissible breakthrough concentration is attained in the discharge clean air stream, the loaded adsorber is switched to regeneration. To reverse the adsorption of the solvent, the equilibrium must be reversed by increasing the temperature and decreasing the solvent concentration by purging. 

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