The adsorption isotherm data of glycerol from biodiesel
(FAME, fatty acid alkyl esters) onto the sulfonated adsorbent were
obtained via batch equilibrium tests at different temperatures in
the range of 303–323 K. Subsequently, these data were fitted
by four isotherm models. Freundlich isotherm model was the best fitted
(r
2 > 0.98), and the model parameter
1/n implied that the adsorption process was favorable.
For the Dubinin–Radushkevich (D-R) isotherm model, the model
parameter Q
D decreased with increasing
temperature, and the mean free energy of sorption (E) was less than 8 kJ mol–1. The results of Q
D and E reflected the exothermic
and physical properties of the adsorption process, respectively. The
negative values of Gibbs free energy change (ΔG
0) and enthalpy change (ΔH
0) indicated that the adsorption occurs spontaneously with
an exothermic nature, while the positive values of entropy change
(ΔS
0) suggested the increase in
randomness at the solid–liquid interface during adsorption.
The isosteric heat of adsorption (ΔH
X) suggested that strong hydrogen bonding between glycerol and the
−SO3
– groups of the sulfonated
adsorbent dominated the adsorption process and that there existed
adsorbate–adsorbate mutual attractive interaction. Furthermore,
the existence of hydrogen bonding was also confirmed by infrared spectra.