Wood frame structured carbons with integrated sieving layer for propylene/propane separation

• Published in: Chemical engineering journal (Lausanne, Switzerland : 1996) Vol. 477; p. 146891
• Main Authors: Wang, Cheng-Tong, Li, Wen-Cui, Xu, Shuang, Liu, Ru-Shuai, Hao, Guang-Ping, Lu, An-Hui
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier B.V 01.12.2023
• Subjects: Adsorption separation; Bioinspired material; Gas adsorption; Porous carbon; Propylene/propane separation; Propylene/propane separation; Bioinspired material; Porous carbon; Adsorption separation; Gas adsorption
• ISSN: 1385-8947
• DOI: 10.1016/j.cej.2023.146891

The wood frame structured carbons with integrated sieving layer enable competitive dynamic separation performance of C3H6/C3H8 because of the combination of advantages of efficient mass transfer capability, high adsorption capacity as well as fine molecular sieving property. [Display omitted] •In-situ method to grow a seamless precursor layer in wood cell walls.•Impart seamless molecular sieving function layer in the wood-structured carbons.•Evident molecular sieving property for C3H6/C3H8 separation.•Abundant regular macropores channels for fast mass transfer.•Highly scalable and self-supportive structured adsorbents. Adsorption separation of propylene/propane is of great importance in producing the key feedstock of propylene. The core challenge lies in the design of high-performance adsorbent materials capable of high adsorption uptake and selectivity. Here we report a proof-of-concept adsorbent of wood frame structured carbons with an integrated sieving layer, which is prepared on the basis of natural woods by imparting functional polymer layers in the wood cells. The polymer layers in the wood frame penetrate into the wood walls and transform into integrated sieving layer in the resultant carbon honeycombs, rather than block the wood channels. The effective sieving layer as well as the ordered free transport channels enable this type of material to display excellent propylene/propane separation performance, showing a high propylene adsorption uptake of 1.72 mmol g−1, and an ideal adsorbed solution theory and dynamic selectivity up to 3.8 × 104 and 139 at 298 K and 1 bar, respectively. This work provides a unique idea for designing structured carbon adsorbents with selective sieving layer, which may apply to other molecular recognition, separation, and purification processes beyond propylene/propane separation.