The results of the concentration curves (ppm) of VOC emissions
for activated carbon and sulfuric acid treated activated carbon are
shown in Fig. 5. The breakthrough curve for the adsorption of
benzene-toluene mixture obtained in this study is in agreement to
this reported in the literature. (Lillo-Rodenas et al., 2005 ). Initially,
the activated carbon was saturated with benzene; after 58 min,
toluene was detected from the outlet of the adsorption bed. For 5SAC, the toluene was detected from outlet of the adsorption bed after
90 min; for 10S-AC, toluene was detected after 96 min. These times
were determined to be the difference between the times at which
the toluene outlet concentrations separated, i.e., the separation
times of AC, 5S-AC, and 10S-AC were 58 min, 90 min, and 96 min,
respectively. This result was shown because of that the adsorption
capacity of toluene was higher than that of benzene, that 10S-AC
had superior adsorption capacities in the benzene-toluene mixture
due to the difference in the breakthrough characteristics of its binary components and the presence of an organic group on the surface.