Sorption kinetics of ethane and propane and their binary mixtures on Norit Row activated carbon (type 0.8 supra) were investigated under various experimental conditions. The experimental kinetics data collected on a differential adsorption bed rig were employed to validate the potential of the heterogeneous macropore and surface diffusion (HMSD) model proposed by Hu and Do [X. Hu, D.D. Do, Langmuir 9 (1993) 2530]. The model takes into account the effects of surface energetic heterogeneity on both sorption kinetics and equilibrium and allows for the diffusion in both bulk and adsorbed phases. The kinetics parameters derived from single component systems were used to predict the sorption kinetics of multicomponent systems. It is found that the model can give a good description of the binary kinetics in general, and in particular, the model is able to accurately predict the overshoot degree of the rapidly diffusing/less strongly adsorbed species. Some discrepancy was also observed between the model prediction and the experimental data of desorption kinetics, and this phenomenon has been discussed.