Natural gas dehydration by adsorption using MOFs and silicas: A review

Microporous Fluorinated MOF with Multiple Adsorption Sites for Efficient Recovery of C2H6 and C3H8 from Natural Gas

Purifying C2H6/C3H8 from a ternary natural gas mixture through adsorption separation is an important but challenging process in the petrochemical industry. To address this challenge, the industry is exploring effective strategies for designing high-performance adsorbents. In this study, we present two metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), DMOF-TF and DMOF-(CF3)2, which have fluorinated pores obtained by substituting linker ligands in the host material. This pore engineering strategy not only provides suitable pore confinement but also enhances the adsorption capacities for C2H6/C3H8 by providing additional binding sites. Theoretical calculations and transient breakthrough experiments show that the introduction of F atoms not only improves the efficiency of natural gas separation but also provides multiple adsorption sites for C2H6/C3H8-framework interactions.

Enhanced atmospheric water harvesting efficiency through green-synthesized MOF-801: a comparative study with solvothermal synthesis

Adsorption-based atmospheric water harvesting has emerged as a compelling solution in response to growing global water demand. In this context, Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) have garnered considerable interest due to their unique structure and intrinsic porosity. Here, MOF 801 was synthesized using two different methods: solvothermal and green room temperature synthesis. Comprehensive characterization indicated the formation of MOF-801 with high phase purity, small crystallite size, and excellent thermal stability. Nitrogen adsorption-desorption analysis revealed that green-synthesized MOF-801 possessed an 89% higher specific surface area than its solvothermal-synthesized counterpart. Both adsorbents required activation at a minimum temperature of 90 °C for optimal adsorption performance. Additionally, green-synthesized MOF-801 demonstrated superior adsorption performance compared to solvothermal-synthesized MOF-801, attributed to its small crystal size (around 66 nm), more hydrophilic functional groups, greater specific surface area (691.05 m2/g), and the possibility of having a higher quantity of defects. The maximum water adsorption capacity in green-synthesized MOF-801 was observed at 25 °C and 80% relative humidity, with a value of 41.1 g/100 g, a 12% improvement over the solvothermal-synthesized MOF-801. Remarkably, even at a 30% humidity level, green-synthesized MOF-801 displayed a considerable adsorption capacity of 31.5 g/100 g. Importantly, MOF-801 exhibited long-term effectiveness in multiple adsorption cycles without substantial efficiency decline.

Development of composite optical waveguide based on azobenzene-modified titanium metal-organic framework film for study of gas adsorption kinetics

This study investigates the fabrication and gas adsorption kinetics of an azobenzene (AZB)-modified titanium metal-organic framework (AZB@Ti-MOF) film composite optical waveguide (COWG) that recognizes ethylenediamine (EDA) gas. After modification with AZB, the surface of the Ti-MOF film became rough and evolved from a hemispherical structure to a petal-like structure; a large pore size and small specific surface area accompanied the evolution of the surface morphology. The AZB@Ti-MOF film COWG exhibited a positive response to EDA gas co-existing with the same concentration (1000 ppm) of benzenes, amines, and acidic gases. It is postulated that charge transfer occurs when the AZB@Ti-MOF film COWG adsorbs EDA gas, leading to significant strengthening of the intramolecular hydrogen bonds as EDA works as an electron donor. Incomplete or prolonged EDA desorption from the film surface at room temperature resulted in a decrease in the surface sensitivity of the COWG AZB@Ti-MOF film. The kinetics of EDA adsorption were examined using pseudo-first-order and pseudo-second-order (PSO) kinetic models. The EDA adsorption kinetics fit well with the PSO model. As measured at room temperature, the adsorption capacity (q_e) per unit surface of the AZB@Ti-MOF films was 46.50 × 10^-2 µg·cm^-2.

Zeolite Waste Characterization and Use as Low-Cost, Ecofriendly, and Sustainable Material for Malachite Green and Methylene Blue Dyes Removal: Box–Behnken Design, Kinetics, and Thermodynamics

This study investigated the potential of 4A zeolite, named4AZW in this work, generated by natural gas dehydration units as solid waste after several treatment cycles, as a low-cost adsorbent to separately remove two cationic dyes, methylene blue (MB) and malachite green (MG), from an aqueous solution within a batch process. The adsorbent material was characterized by N2gas adsorption–desorption, X-ray fluorescence spectrometry, X-ray diffraction, FT-IR spectroscopy, and the determination of its cation exchange capacity and point of zero charge. The influence of key operating parameters, such as the pH, adsorbent dosage, ionic strength, contact time, initial dye concentration, and temperature, was investigated. Three independent variables acting on MB adsorption performance were selected from the Box–Behnken design (BBD) and for process modeling and optimization. An analysis of variance (ANOVA), an F-test, and p-values were used to analyze the main and interaction effects. The experimental data were satisfyingly fitted with quadratic regression with adjusted R2= 0.9961. The pseudo-second-order kinetic model described the adsorption of the dyes on 4AZW. The equilibrium data were well-fitted by the Langmuir model for each adsorption system (MB-4AZW and MG-4AZW) with maximum adsorption capacity (qmax) values of 9.95 and 45.64 mg/g, respectively, at 25 °C. Thermodynamics studies showed that both adsorption systems are spontaneous and endothermic.

Experimental Study on a New Combined Gas–Liquid Separator

Gas–liquid separation at natural gas wellheads has always been a key technical problem in the fields of natural gas transportation and storage. Developing a gas–liquid separation device that is both universal and highly efficient is the current challenge. A new type of combined gas–liquid separation device was designed in this study, and the efficiency of the separator was studied using a laser Doppler anemometer and phase Doppler particle analyzer at a flow rate of 10–60 Nm3/h. The results showed that the separation efficiency of the combined separator was above 95% at each experimental flow rate, verifying the strong applicability of the combined separator. Moreover, the separation efficiency was as high as 99% at the flow rates of 10 and 60 Nm3/h, thereby realizing efficient separation. This study is significant to the development of gas–liquid separation devices.