Experimental Study was carried out for benzene desorption by purge gas or evacuation in an activated carbon bed. As purge gas flow rate increased, desorption rate increased due to the higher interstitial linear gas velocity. For various purge gas flow rates, desoption curves almost got together if they were plotted against dimensionless time. At a higher flow rate, mass transfer zone became narrower. Temperature drop in the bed was more fast and severe at higher flow rates and higher outer temperature. It was found out that desorption was almost completed when the temperature in the drop of the bed returned to the initial temperature before temperature drop. Desorption by vacuum purge was completed in shorter time than desorption by purge gas. Countercurrent purge was more effective than cocurrent purge.

The VOCs(Volatile Organic Compounds) is one of the major cause for the atmosphere pollution. Breakthrough behavior of benzene and toluene in adsorption bed packed with activated carbon was experimentally studied. Composition and temperature of the gas flowing in the bed was measured and breakthrough curves for each component was obtained. Breakthrough time of benzene was earlier than that of toluene due to relatively weak adsorptivity. The relationship between breakthrough time and flow rate was obtained. The shape of temperature change with time was dependent on the position in the bed. Temperature changed faster and sharper in the inlet than in the outlet. It was noted that breakthrough behavior could be affected by the heat transfer properties.