Adsorption of melamine was examined using columns packed with granular activated carbon (GAC). Raw GAC was sieved with 20, 40, 60 and 80 mesh to determine the influence of adsorbent particle size on reaction and diffusion. The mass ratio of the adsorption capacity of GAC for melamine ranged from 9.19 to 11.06%, and adsorption rates increased with decreasing particle size within this range. Rate constants between 3.295 ~ 4.799 $min^{-1}$ were obtained using a pseudofirst-order equation that was used to determine adsorption kinetics. A surface diffusion model was adapted to take into account the unsteady-state equation of a spherical adsorbent by converting the surface concentration from a constant to a variable governed by a dispersion equation. The calculated values were fit with the experimental results by using the diffusion coefficients as regression parameters. The modified equation exhibited a more precise agreement with respect to the sum of the absolute error (SAE).

Keywords: Melamine;Adsorption;GAC;Surface diffusion;Crank's diffusion equation;