In the present work the performance of semifluidized bed adsorber was evaluated for removal of phenolic compound from wastewater using commercial activated carbon as adsorbent. P-chlorophenol (4-Chlorophenol) and o-cresol (2-methylphenol) was selected as a phenolic compound for that purpose. The phenols percent removal, in term of breakthrough curves were studied as affected by hydrodynamics limitations which include minimum and maximum semifluidization velocities and packed bed formation in the column by varying various parameters such as inlet liquid superficial velocity (from Uminsf to 8Uminsf m/s), and retaining grid (sometimes referred to as adsorbent loading) to initial static bed height ratio (from 3-4.5). Inlet phenols concentration (50-400 mg/l) and initial pH of the liquid solutions feed (from 4 to 10) were also studied. The experimental semifluidized adsorber unit was designed and constructed in Chem. Eng. labs at Al-Nahrain University (consisted of a QVF glass tube 2.54 cm inside diameter, and 70cm length). The results showed that the initial percent removal of phenolic compounds (P-chlorophenol and o-cresol) decrease with increasing the superficial liquid velocity while the time required reaching equilibrium state decreased. Also it slightly affected with the increase in the retaining grid height and the time required to reach the equilibrium value decreased.
