A note on the determination of adsorption from solution

Abstract

We propose a method of measuring adsorption from solution on solids in which after contacting the solid with solution of given initial mole fraction x^°₂ one determines the amount of the preferentially adsorbed component (2) which has to be added to return the solution to its original composition. This method, which may be called the ‘concentration null’ or simply the ‘null’ method, gives an adsorption value strictly in accord with Gibbs' definition of the relative surface excess. Some potential advantages of this method over earlier methods are outlined.