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Adsorbates can be removed from the adsorbent surface by replacing them with a more
preferentially adsorbed species. This displacement fluid, which can be a gas, a vapour or a
liquid, should adsorb about as strongly as the components which are to be desorbed. If the
displacement fluid is adsorbed too strongly then there may be subsequent difficulties in
removing it from the adsorbent.
The mechanism for desorption of the original adsorbate involves 2 aspects:
Partial pressure (or concentration) of original adsorbate in the gas phase surrounding
the adsorbent is reduced
There is competitive adsorption for the displacement fluid. The displacement fluid is
present on the adsorbent and thus will contaminate the product.
One advantage of the displacement fluid method of regeneration is that the net heat generated
or consumed in the adsorbent will be close to zero because the heat of adsorption of the
displacement fluid is likely to be close to that of the original adsorbate. Thus the temperature of
the adsorbent should remain more or less constant throughout the cycle.
A is the more strongly adsorbed component in the binary feed mixture of (A and B) while D is
the displacement purge gas. The feed mixture of (A and B) is passed through Bed 1 acting as
the adsorber, which is preloaded with D from the previous cycle (when Bed 1 was the
regenerator).
A is adsorbed and the product of a mixture of (B and D) emerges from the top of the column. (B
and D) are easily separated by distillation so that B is collected in a relatively pure state.
The displacement gas D then enters Bed 2 acting as regenerator and from which emerges a
mixture of (A and D). (A and D) can be separated without difficulty in another distillation column.
In effect the original mixture of (A and B), which would have been difficult to separate by PSA or
TSA, is separated by the "intervention" of another strongly adsorbed component D. The ease of
separation of A from D, and B from D, in the additional distillation stages, is crucial in
determining the economies of displacement purge cycle operation.
Examples of commercial processes include the separation of linear paraffins from mixtures
containing branched chain and cyclic isomers in the range of C10 - C18 hydrocarbons.