Sorption of butane, propane, ethane, methane, and carbon dioxide on asphaltene

Isotherms of sorption of butane, propane, ethane, methane, and carbon dioxide on an asphaltene sample of known elemental composition were measured. The effect of the pressure and temperature on the shape the sorption isotherms for all the adsorption systems studied was examined. The values of the initial heat of sorption were determined and compared to the energies of interaction of the molecules with asphaltene. The results obtained suggest that asphaltene is a swellable amorphous sorbent.     

Isotherm analysis of phenol adsorption on polymeric adsorbents from nonaqueous solution

Macroporous poly(methyl methacrylate-co-divinylbenzene) (PMMA), interpenetrating polymer adsorbent based on poly(styrene-co-divinylbenzene) (PS) and poly(methyl methacrylate-co-divinylbenzene) (PMMA/PS), and macroporous cross-linked poly(N-p-vinylbenzyl acetylamide) (PVBA) were prepared for the adsorption of phenol from cyclohexane. The sorption isotherms of phenol on the three polymeric adsorbents were measured and fitted to Langmuir and Freundlich isotherms. It is shown that the Langmuir isotherm, which is based on a homogeneous surface model, is unsuitable to describe the sorption of phenol on the adsorbents from nonaqueous solution and the Freundlich equation fits the tested three adsorption systems well. The isosteric enthalpy was quantitatively correlated with the fractional loading for the sorption of phenol onto the three polymeric adsorbents. The surface energetic heterogeneity patterns of the adsorbents were described with functions of isosteric enthalpy. The results showed that the tested three polymeric adsorbents exhibited different surface energetic heterogeneity patterns. The initial isosteric enthalpy of phenol sorption on polymeric adsorbent has to do with the surface chemical composition and is free from the pore structure of the polymeric adsorbent matrix. Forming hydrogen bonds between phenol molecules and adsorbent is the main driving force of phenol sorption onto PVBA and PMMA adsorbent from nonaqueous solution. When phenol is adsorbed on PMMA/PS, pi-pi interaction resulting from the stacking of the benzene rings of the adsorbed phenol molecules and the pendant benzene ring of adsorbent is involved.     

Adsorption of carbon dioxide on microporous carbon adsorbents

Adsorption isotherms of carbon dioxide on microporous carbon adsorbents prepared by activation with potassium sulfide in water vapor were measured. The measurements were carried out in the pressure interval from 1 Pa to 0.1 MPa at temperatures from 216.2 to 293.15 K. Based on the theory of volumetric filling of micropores, the main structural and energetic parameters of the microporous carbon adsorbents were calculated. The adsorption isosters of carbon dioxide were calculated from the adsorption isotherms in the same pressure and temperature ranges and approximated by linear dependences. The plots of the differential mole isosteric heats of adsorption vs amount adsorbed were constructed by using the adsorption isosters.     

Vapor–liquid equilibrium of systems containing alcohols,water, carbon dioxide and hydrocarbons using SAFT

The statistical associating fluid theory (SAFT) equation of state is employed for the correlation and prediction of vapor–liquid equilibrium (VLE) of eighteen binary mixtures. These include water with methane, ethane, propane, butane, propylene, carbon dioxide, methanol, ethanol and ethylene glycol (EG), ethanol with ethane, propane, butane and propylene, methanol with methane, ethane and carbon dioxide and finally EG with methane and ethane. Moreover, vapor–liquid equilibrium for nine ternary systems was predicted. The systems are water/ethanol/alkane (ethane, propane, butane), water/ethanol/propylene, water/methanol/carbon dioxide, water/methanol/methane, water/methanol/ethane, water/EG/methane and water/EG/ethane. The results were found to be in satisfactory agreement with the experimental data except for the water/methanol/methane system for which the root mean square deviations for pressure were 60–68% when the methanol concentration in the liquid phase was 60 wt.%.     

Adsorption of gases on layered silicates at high pressures

Equilibrium adsorption of nitrogen, carbon dioxide, and argon was examined on the sodium and pyridinium forms of montmorillonite and on the hydrogen form of bentonite. The measurements were carried out at 303, 343, 373, and 400 K over pressure ranges of 0.1–90 MPa (Ar and N₂) and 0.1–6 MPa (CO₂). The amount of nitrogen vapor adsorbed was determined at 77 K and pressures from 0 to 0.1 MPa. The porous structure parameters of the studied samples were determined using adsorption isotherms of nitrogen, argon, and carbon dioxide vapors. At elevated temperatures and pressures >10 MPa, Ar and N₂ adsorption processes on the Na-form of montmorillonite and Ar adsorption on bentonite are activated, since the amounts of the gases adsorbed and adsorption volumes increase with temperature. No activated adsorption is observed for carbon dioxide adsorption on these adsorbents. A comparison of the excess adsorption isotherms of gases on the Py-form of montmorillonite and H-form of bentonite shows that adsorption in micropores predominates for the Py-form of montmorillonite, whereas for the Na-form of bentonite and H-form of bentonite adsorption occurs mainly in meso- and macropores.     

Statistical thermodynamics models for polyatomic adsorbates: application to adsorption of n-paraffins in 5A zeolite

Experimental adsorption isotherms of five n-paraffins (ethane, propane, butane, pentane, and hexane) in 5A zeolite were described by means of a statistical thermodynamics model for linear adsorbates (MLA) developed by Ramirez-Pastor et al. (1999) and compared with the well-known multisite Langmuir model (MSL) of Nitta et al. (1984). The experimental data, obtained by different authors in a wide range of temperatures and pressures, were correlated by using an algorithm of multiple fitting. Two main conclusions were drawn from the analysis of experimental data: (i) for small molecules (ethane, propane), MLA is the more accurate model, validating the hypothesis of the linear rigid character of the adsorbate and reinforcing previous results obtained from the analysis of computational experiments developed for dimers and linear trimers; (ii) for large molecules (n-butane, n-pentane, n-hexane), the better performance of the MSL model suggests that the admolecules adsorb in a nonlinear structure. The isosteric heat of adsorption dependence on the number of carbons obtained from our study, ranging between 23.84 kJ/mol for ethane and 59.26 kJ/mol for hexane, showed a very good agreement with previous results reported in the literature, confirming the consistency of our analysis.     

Determination of the average heat and characteristic energy from the adsorption isotherm

The isotherms of the total content, isosteric and average heats of adsorption, as well as characteristic energies of adsorption were determined from the isotherms of excess adsorption of carbon dioxide on six different carbon adsorbents at temperature ranging from 293 to 423 К at pressures up to 6 MPa. The average isosteric heats are in agreement with the average heats of adsorption, which were determined from the equation relating the heat of adsorption with the characteristic energy of adsorption.     

Analysis of gas sorption in glassy polymers with the GAB model: An alternative to the dual mode sorption model

The suitability of the Guggenheim–Anderson–De Boer (GAB) model for the parameterization of gas sorption isotherms and their dependences on temperature is explored. The GAB model implies that molecules adsorb on inner surfaces of the polymer in multilayers, which contrasts with the assumptions of the classical Dual Mode Sorption (DMS) model which implies the simultaneous occurrence of Henry‐like dissolution and Langmuir's case I adsorption. The GAB model shows similar efficacy of the parameterization of the gas sorption isotherms in polymers as the DMS model. The isosteric heat of adsorption shows clear dependence on relative surface coverage for carbon dioxide sorption in cellulose acetate, polyethylene terephthalate, and the first polymer of intrinsic microporosity (PIM‐1), thus allowing for the occurrence of adsorption multilayers. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part B: Polym. Phys. 2014 , 52, 1490–1495     

Methane adsorption on various adsorbents and the possibility of its storage in the adsorbed state

The adsorption of methane on MN-200 and MN-270 polymer adsorbents, and on active carbon D4609, is investigated in the pressure range of 0.1–40 MPa at temperatures of 303, 323, 343, 373 K. Adsorption volumes are determined for these adsorption systems, and the isosteric heats of adsorption are calculated. Based on our investigations, we consider the possibility of storing methane in the adsorbed state in containers and the efficiency of the approach relative to gas storage in containers without adsorbents. Recommendations on selecting an adsorbent for methane storage are given, and one possible way of increasing the amount of stored gas is described.     

Solubility of carbon dioxide,methane, and ethane in 1-butanol and saturated liquid densities and viscosities

A designed pressure–volume–temperature (PVT) apparatus has been used to measure the (vapor + liquid) equilibrium properties of three binary mixtures (methane +, ethane +, and carbon dioxide + 1-butanol) at two temperatures (303 and 323) K and at the pressures up to 6 MPa. The solubility of the compressed gases in 1-butanol and the saturated liquid densities and viscosities were measured. In addition, the density and viscosity of pure 1-butanol were measured at two temperatures (303 and 323) K and at the pressures up to 10 MPa. The experimental results show that the solubility of the gases in 1-butanol increases with pressure and decreases with temperature. The dissolution of gases in 1-butanol causes a decline in the viscosity of liquid phase. The saturated liquid density follows a decreasing trend with the solubility of methane and ethane. However, the dissolution of carbon dioxide in 1-butanol leads to an increase in the density of liquid phase. The experimental data are well correlated with Soave–Redlich–Kwong (SRK) and Peng–Robinson (PR) equations of state (EOSs). SRK EOS was slightly superior for correlating the saturated liquid densities.     

Adsorption equilibrium of binary methane/ethane mixtures in BPL activated carbon: isotherms and calorimetric heats of adsorption

The adsorption of pure methane and ethane in BPL activated carbon has been measured at temperatures between 264 and 373 K and at pressures up to 3.3 MPa with a bench-scale high-pressure open-flow apparatus. The same apparatus was used to measure the adsorption of binary methane/ethane mixtures in BPL at 301.4 K and at pressures up to 2.6 MPa. Thermodynamic consistency tests demonstrate that the data are thermodynamically consistent. In contrast to two sets of data previously published, we found that the adsorption of binary methane/ethane in BPL behaves ideally (in the sense of obeying ideal adsorbed solution theory, IAST) throughout the pressure and gas-phase composition range studied. A Tian-Calvet type microcalorimeter was used to measure low-pressure isotherms, the isosteric heats of adsorption of pure methane and ethane in BPL activated carbon, and the individual heats of adsorption in binary mixtures, at 297 K and at pressures up to 100 kPa. The mixture heats of adsorption were consistent with IAST.     

Adsorption of Gases, Vapors and Liquids by Microporous Adsorbents

Adsorption of Xe, Kr, Ar, N₂, O₂, H₂ CH₄, CO₂, He, and freons by PAU-10 and ACC microporous carbon adsorbents as well as by A and X zeolites was investigated over a wide range of pressures (0.1 Pa – 20 MPa) and temperatures (77, 120–600 K). The amount of gases, vapors and liquids adsorbed by microporous adsorbents increases steadily with increasing pressure and does not change dramatically if phase transitions occur in the adsorptive. Isosteres of adsorption constructed as a curve of ln P against f(1/T)_a retain a linear form over a wide range of pressures and temperatures. The slope of isosteres does not vary on going through the critical temperature of the gaseous phase. At high pressures, due to non-ideality of the gaseous phase and non-inert behavior of the adsorbent the differential molar heat of adsorption is dependent on temperature. At high fillings of micropores the differential molar isosteric heat capacities of adsorption systems show maxima that indicate the occurrence of structural rearrangements in the adsorbate.     

Chemisorption of carbon dioxide on potassium-carbonate-promoted hydrotalcite

New equilibrium and column dynamic data for chemisorption of carbon dioxide from inert nitrogen at 400 and 520 degrees C were measured on a sample of potassium-carbonate-promoted hydrotalcite, which was a reversible chemisorbent for CO(2). The equilibrium chemisorption isotherms were Langmuirian in the low-pressure region (p(CO(2)) < 0.2 atm) with a large gas-solid interaction parameter. The isotherms deviated from Langmuirian behavior in the higher pressure region. A new analytical model that simultaneously accounted for Langmuirian chemisorption of CO(2) on the adsorbent surface and additional reaction between the gaseous and sorbed CO(2) molecules was proposed to describe the measured equilibrium data. The model was also capable of describing the unique loading dependence of the isosteric heat of chemisorption of CO(2) reported in the literature. The column breakthrough curves for CO(2) sorption from inert N(2) on the chemisorbent could be described by the linear driving force (LDF) model in conjunction with the new sorption isotherm. The CO(2) mass-transfer coefficients were (i) independent of feed gas CO(2) concentration in the range of the data at a given temperature and (ii) a weak function of temperature. The ratio of the mass-transfer zone length to the column length was very low due to highly favorable CO(2) sorption equilibrium.     

Preliminary studies on the potential for gas separation by mesoporous ceramic oxide membranes surface modified by alkyl phosphonic acids

A composite ceramic-organic membrane has been prepared by chemical grafting of organo-phosphate molecules to the surface of an aluminium-oxide membrane. Gas-transport mechanism through the initial mesoporous membrane with pore size of 5 nm is essentially based on Knudsen diffusion and so does not give significant separation factors between gases of similar molecular weights. Modification of membrane surface properties allows control of the relative contribution of differing transport mechanisms. Modified membranes have been tested for various gas permeations (methane, ethane, propane, hydrogen, nitrogen and carbon dioxide) at room temperature. The modified membranes display high permeability and high selectivity coefficient for propane/nitrogen separation. The chemical, physical and geometrical properties of the modifying molecules can be chosen in order to improve the performances of any specific application.     

Simultaneous measurement of the solubility of nitrogen and carbon dioxide in polystyrene and of the associated polymer swelling

New experimental results for the solubility of nitrogen and carbon dioxide in polystyrene are reported, accompanied by data on the change in volume of the polymer caused by the sorption process. The two phenomena were measured simultaneously with a combined technique, in which the quantity of penetrating fluid introduced into the system was evaluated by pressure‐decay measurements in a calibrated volume, whereas a vibrating‐wire force sensor was employed for weighing the polymer sample during sorption inside of the high‐pressure equilibrium cell. The use of the two techniques was necessary because the effects of swelling and solubility could not be decoupled in a single gravimetric or pressure‐decay measurement. The sorption of nitrogen in polystyrene was studied along three isotherms from 313 to 353 K at pressures up to 70 MPa. The sorption of carbon dioxide was measured along four isotherms from 338 to 402 K up to 45 MPa. The results are compared with values from the literature when possible, although our data extend significantly the pressure ranges of the latter. The uncertainties affecting our measurements with nitrogen are 1 mg of N₂/g of polystyrene in solubility and 0.1% of the volume of the polymer. For carbon dioxide, the uncertainties are 5 mg of N₂/g of polystyrene and 0.5% respectively, carbon dioxide being about 1 order of magnitude more soluble than nitrogen. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 39: 2063–2070, 2001     

Evaluation of selective composite cryogel for bromate removal from drinking water

Bromate, which is a potential carcinogen, should be removed from drinking water to levels of less than 10 μg/L. A chitosan‐based molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) and a sol–gel ion‐exchange double hydrous oxide (Fe₂O₃·Al₂O₃·xH₂O) adsorbent (inorganic adsorbent) were prepared for this purpose. The sorption behavior of each adsorbent including sorption kinetics, isotherms, effect of pH and selective sorption were investigated in detail. Sorption experimental results showed that the MIP adsorbents had better selectivity for bromate, even in the presence of high concentrations of nitrate, as compared to the inorganic adsorbent. It was found that pH does not affect the adsorption of bromate when using the inorganic adsorbent. Additionally, both adsorbents were immobilized in a polymeric cryogel inside plastic carriers to make them more practical for using in larger scale. Regeneration of the cryogels either containing MIP or inorganic adsorbents were carried out by 0.1 M NaOH and 0.1 M NaCl, respectively. It was found that the regenerated MIP and inorganic adsorbents could be used at least three and five times, respectively, without any loss in their sorption capacity.     

Probing the mechanism of water adsorption in carbon micropores with multitemperature isotherms and water preadsorption experiments

The phenomenon of water adsorption in carbon micropores is examined through the study of water adsorption equilibrium in molecular sieving carbon. Adsorption and desorption isotherms are obtained over a wide range of concentrations from less than 0.1% to beyond 80% of the vapor pressure. Evidence is provided in support of a proposed bimodal water adsorption mechanism that involves the interaction of water molecules with functional groups at low relative pressures and the adsorption of water molecules between graphene layers at higher pressures. Decomposition of the equilibrium isotherm data through application of the extended cooperative multimolecular sorption theory, together with favorable quantitative comparison, provides support for the proposed adsorption mechanism. Additional support is obtained from a multitemperature study of water equilibrium. Temperatures of 20, 50, and 60 degrees C were probed in this investigation in order to provide isosteric heat of adsorption data for water interaction with the carbon molecular sieve. At low loading, the derived isosteric heat of adsorption is estimated to be 69 kJ/mol. This value is indicative of the adsorption of water to functional groups. At higher loading, the isosteric heat of adsorption decreases with increasing loading and approaches the heat of condensation, indicative of adsorption between graphene layers. Further support for the proposed adsorption mechanism is derived from carbon dioxide adsorption experiments on carbon molecular sieve that is preadsorbed with various amounts of water. Significant exclusion of carbon dioxide occurs, and a quantitative analysis that is based on the proposed bimodal water adsorption mechanism is employed in this investigation.     

Light olefins/paraffins sorption in poly(lactic acid) films

The sorption behavior of small molecules like ethane and ethylene in poly (lactic acid) (PLA) was studied in the temperature interval from 283 to 313 K using a Quartz Crystal Microbalance (QCM). The effect of the polymer structure on the solubility selectivity of PLA films with respect to these two gases was studied using polymer with two different L:D ratios (98:2 and 80:20). Furthermore, the polymer films were submitted to different thermal treatments to address the influence of crystallinity and morphology of the noncrystalline fraction on the sorption behavior. The sorption results obtained indicate that ethylene solubility coefficient in annealed PLA 98:2 is about 26% higher than that of ethane and 41% higher in PLA 98:2 melted. The dual‐mode sorption model describes well the sorption isotherms behavior, which is concave concerning the pressure axis. The fully amorphous PLA presents the better selectivity for the studied gases, since the crystallinity seems to produce a negative effect on the selectivity. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 46: 1312–1319, 2008     

Adsorptive behavior of CO2, CH4 and their mixtures in carbon nanospace: a molecular simulation study

Using molecular simulation, four types of nanoporous carbons are examined as adsorbents for the separation of CO(2)/CH(4) mixtures at ambient temperature and pressures up to 10 MPa. First, the adsorption selectivity of CO(2) is investigated in carbon slit pores and single-walled carbon nanotube bundles in order to find the optimal pore dimensions for CO(2) separation. Then, the adsorptive properties of the optimized slit pore and nanotube bundle are compared with two realistic nanoporous carbon models: a carbon replica of zeolite Y and an amorphous carbon. For the four carbon models, adsorption isotherms and isosteric heats of adsorption are presented for both pure components and mixtures. Special attention is given to the calculation of excess isotherms and isosteric heats, which are necessary to assess the performance of model nanoporous materials in the context of experimental measurements. From these results, we discuss the impact that variables such as pore size, pore morphology, pressure and mixture composition have on the performance of nanoporous carbons for CO(2) separation.     

Adsorption of ethane, ethylene, propane, and propylene on a magnesium-based metal-organic framework

Separation of olefin/paraffin is an energy-intensive and difficult separation process in petrochemical industry. Energy-efficient adsorption process is considered as a promising alternative to the traditional cryogenic distillation for separating olefin/paraffin mixtures. In this work, we explored the feasibility of adsorptive separation of olefin/paraffin mixtures using a magnesium-based metal-organic framework, Mg-MOF-74. Adsorption equilibria and kinetics of ethane, ethylene, propane, and propylene on a Mg-MOF-74 adsorbent were determined at 278, 298, and 318 K and pressures up to 100 kPa. A dual-site Sips model was used to correlate the adsorption equilibrium data, and a micropore diffusion model was applied to extract the diffusivities from the adsorption kinetics data. A grand canonical Monte Carlo simulation was conducted to calculate the adsorption isotherms and to elucidate the adsorption mechanisms. The simulation results showed that all four adsorbate molecules are preferentially adsorbed on the open metal sites where each metal site binds one adsorbate molecule. Propylene and propane have a stronger affinity to the Mg-MOF-74 adsorbent than ethane and ethylene because of their significant dipole moments. Adsorption equilibrium selectivity, combined equilibrium and kinetic selectivity, and adsorbent selection parameter for pressure swing adsorption processes were estimated. The relatively high values of adsorption selectivity suggest that it is feasible to separate ethylene/ethane, propylene/propane, and propylene/ethylene pairs in a vacuum swing adsorption process using Mg-MOF-74 as an adsorbent.