Influence of pellet structure on selectivity during pressure swing adsorption separations

✍ Scribed by L.F. Gladden

• Publisher: Elsevier Science
• Year: 1991
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 923 KB
• Volume: 46
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0009-2509
• DOI: 10.1016/0009-2509(91)80038-z

✦ Synopsis

Computer simulations

have been performed to determine the non-steady-state response of a realistic pellet model, parameterized by pore connectivity and pore-size distribution, during the pressure swing adsorption process. The system considered is the separation of hydrogen and methane using porous activated carbon. The pore connectivity is found to have a significant effect on selectivity. It is found that the general behaviour of the pellet during the pressure cycle can be represented by a uniform spherical pellet model using an appropriate choice of effective ditfusivity or tortuosity factor which depends on the rate of change of external conditions. The approach presented enables the role of the pore structure of a selective adsorbent to be quantified given fundamental physicochemical data on adsorption isotherms and diffusivities.