Adsorbater

Adsorbater is not a standard term in English; it is occasionally used to refer to an adsorber or adsorbent material—the substance or device that removes molecules from a fluid by adsorption. Adsorption is a surface phenomenon in which molecules adhere to a solid surface, as opposed to absorption which involves penetration into the bulk. The process is central to purification, separation, and environmental control.

Adsorption occurs when molecules bind to surfaces, driven by van der Waals forces (physisorption) or chemical bonds (chemisorption). The capacity of an adsorber depends on surface area, porosity, and chemical affinity between the adsorbate and the surface. Equilibrium is described by isotherms such as Langmuir and Freundlich, while kinetic models—often pseudo-first-order or pseudo-second-order—describe the rate of loading; diffusion within porous particles can also influence overall performance.

Common adsorbents include activated carbon, silica gel, alumina, zeolites, clays, and metal-organic frameworks. Adsorbers are often implemented in fixed-bed columns and may be part of systems using pressure swing adsorption (PSA) or vacuum swing adsorption (VSA) for gas drying, purification, and separation. In liquid processes, packed beds of adsorbents are used for decontamination and solvent recovery.

Applications and considerations. Adsorbers are widely used in water and air purification, odor control, solvent recovery, dehumidification, and protective equipment. Regeneration methods include thermal desorption, pressure or vacuum swing, and solvent washing, followed by reactivation of the adsorbent. Because adsorbater is not a widely adopted term, the standard terminology in practice is adsorber or adsorbent.