Binary desorption and displacement kinetics of ethane and propane in Ajax activated carbon are studied in this paper to further understand the multicomponent adsorption of light hydrocarbons onto activated carbon. The experimental data are collected using a differential adsorption bed over a range of temperatures, bulk concentration combinations, particle sizes and shapes. A macropore, surface and micropore diffusion (MSMD) model recently proposed by Hu and Do (Chem Eng Sci (1993) 48 1317) is used in the analysis of experimental data. This model takes into account the concentration dependency of the surface diffusivity. Both diffusions of free and adsorbed species are allowed for in the theory. The adsorbed species are assumed to diffuse in the particle as well as in the microparticle (grain) coordinates. An imaginary gas-phase concentration concept is used to calculate the local diffusion flux of the adsorbed species inside the microparticle. The local multicomponent adsorption equilibrium at any point within the particle is calculated using the ideal adsorbed solution theory (IAST), with the single-component adsorption equilibrium data described by a Unilan equation.