Question

Discuss the effect of pressure on the adsorption of gases on solids.

Answer 1

Adsorption generally increases with an increase in pressure. At low pressures, the amount adsorbed increases rapidly with pressure, but at higher pressures, it tends to reach a saturation value. Physical adsorption increases with pressure due to more gas molecules being forced onto the adsorbent surface, often resulting in multilayer adsorption near critical pressure. Chemical adsorption also increases with pressure, as more gas molecules can react chemically with the surface.