Redistribution of a mixture of organic vapours inside a activated carbon filter

X-ray tomography in a combination with gas chromatography was used for quantitative and qualitative analysis of adsorption front of organics distributed inside activated carbon filters during defined period of storage. This approach was tested against filters partly contaminated by CCl4 and n-heptane separately and by their mixture. X-ray tomography was shown to be capable to “recognize” different organic vaporvapours adsorbed on activated carbon and to follow their movement inside filters. Gas Chromatography was used either to monitor all possible losses of adsorbed species spices from the carbon bed, or either for “seeing” the location of each component of the mixture of organics along the filter depth. Such in situ information could be useful for evaluation of lifetime of carbon filters and for a thorough understanding of adsorption process taking place under static conditions.