The use of activated carbon for removing color from organic solutions has been known since the seventeenth century. Industrial use of activated carbon as an adsorbent was not possible until 1900 because of inadequate temperature control equipment. Since that time activated carbon has found widespread application in industrial adsorption.

The purpose of this investigation was to determine equilibrium data for the system air-acetone-activated carbon at temperatures of 20, 27, and 34ºC at atmospheric pressure.

This investigation was carried out at temperatures of 20, 27, and 34ºC at atmospheric pressure, using acetone as the adsorbate and activated carbon as the adsorbent. The adsorption column used was a three inch O.D. pyrex glass column. The amount of adsorption was determined by measuring the change in length of a calibrated quartz spring with a cathetometer, using a constant flow rate of adsorbate.

The results of this investigation showed that adsorption of the acetone in activated carbon increased as the concentration of the acetone in air increased, and that there was no significant difference in adsorption at the three test temperatures, 20, 27, and 34ºC, The use of a narrow temperature range and a non-porous bucket for holding the adsorbent is noted. Temperatures above room temperature were not obtainable because of acetone condensation on the quartz spring and bucket.