A phenomenological multilayer adsorption model for a well-dispersed, homogeneous, nonporous adsorbent and a molecular adsorbate is presented. The model provides explicit kinetic expressions associating, the adsorbed amounts to the fraction of the surface occupied and reduces to the first- and second-order adsorption models for special cases. Parameters of the model are a pair of true rate constants related to the adsorbate-adsorbent and adsorbate-surface adsorbate affinities. A general graphical procedure and analytical equations for special cases are provided to estimate the rate constants from kinetic adsorption data. Data from the adsorption of sodium stearate onto alpha-alumina from water were used to test the model. The predicted values of the rate constants suggested that the stearate was distributed homogeneously on the alumina surface and essentially adsorbed as a monolayer before starting to form the second layer. (c) 2006 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.