Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers (대한환경공학회지)

Korean Society of Environmental Engineers (대한환경공학회)
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Selective Separation of $CO_2/CH_4$ by Pore Structure Modification of Activated Carbon Fiber

활성탄소섬유의 기공구조 변형을 이용한 $CO_2/CH_4$의 선택적 분리 기술

  • Moon, S.H. (Green House Gas Research Center, Korea Institute of Energy Research) ;
  • Park, S.Y. (Green House Gas Research Center, Korea Institute of Energy Research)
  • 문승현 (한국에너지기술연구원 온실가스연구센터) ;
  • 박성열 (한국에너지기술연구원 온실가스연구센터)
  • Published : 2007.09.30
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Abstract

This research was focused on the selective separation of $CO_2$ or $CH_4$ from mixture of these gases, by controlling the size of pore or pore gate. Pitch based activated carbon fibers(ACF) were used as adsorbents. The size of pore gate was controlled by the molecule having similar size to that of pore opening. After the adsorption of adsorbate on pore surface, planar molecules such as benzene and naphthalene covered the pore gate. The slow release of adsorbate from the pores covered by planar molecules makes apertures between planar molecules covering pore gate and this structure can be fixed by rapid pyrolysis. The control of pore gate using benzene as covering molecules could not accomplished due to the simultaneous volatilization of benzene and adsorbate$(CO_2)$ caused by similar temperatures of benzene volatilization and adsorbate desorption. Therefore we replaced benzene with naphthalene looking for the stability at a $CO_2$ desorption temperature. The naphthalene molecule was adsorbed on the ACF up to 15% of ACF weight and showed no desorption until $100^{\circ}C$, indicating that the molecule could be used as a good cover molecule. Naphthalene could cover almost all the pore gate, reducing BET surface area from 753 $m^2/g$ to 0.7 $m^2/g$. A mixed gas$(CO_2:CH_4=50:50)$ was adsorbed on the naphthalene treated OG-7A ACF. The amount of $CO_2$ adsorption increased with total pressure, whileas thai of $CH_4$ was not so much influenced on the pressure, indicating that $CO_2$ made more compounds on the ACF surface along with total pressure increase. The most $CO_2$ and the least $CH_4$ were adsorbed in the condition of 0.4 atm, resulting in the highly pure $CH_4$ left in ACF.

본 연구에서는 탄화수소의 저온 화학증착 방법을 이용하여 흡착제인 pitch계 활성탄소섬유의 미세기공 또는 기공 입구의 크기를 조절한 다음 $CO_2$와 $CH_4$의 혼합 기체로 부터 $CO_2$ 또는 $CH_4$를 선택적으로 흡착 분리하는 기술에 대하여 고찰하였다. 기공 입구 크기는 조절하고자 하는 크기를 가지는 기체 분자를 흡착시키고 벤젠 또는 나프탈렌과 같은 덮개분자를 이용하여 기공의 입구를 막은 후 흡착된 기체분자를 서서히 탈착시키면서 덮개분자의 열리는 정도를 조절하였다. 기공 입구의 크기를 조절하는 실험에서 $CO_2$ 흡착 후 벤젠을 덮개분자로 하였을 때 $CO_2$가 탈착하는 온도와 벤젠이 휘발되는 온도의 차이가 크지 않아 $CO_2$와 함께 덮개분자인 벤젠도 휘발됨으로써 기공의 입구 조절이 불가능하게 되었다. 나프탈렌을 덮개분자로 사용한 실험에서 시료의 표면적은 753 $m^2/g$에서 0.7 $m^2/g$까지 줄어들어 거의 모든 기공 표면이 덮이는 것을 확인하였다. 나프탈렌은 ACF(활성탄소섬유) 무게의 약 15 wt% 정도 흡착이 가능하며, $100^{\circ}C$ 이하의 온도에서 쉽게 탈착되지 않았다. 나프탈렌으로 처리된 OG-7A 활성탄소섬유에서 $CO_2$와 $CH_4$가 50:50으로 혼합된 가스를 흡착시켰을 때 흡착압력이 증가할수록 $CO_2$의 흡착량은 증가한 반면, $CH_4$의 흡착량은 큰 변화 없이 일정하여 흡착압력이 높을수록 ACF 표면에서 화합물을 형성하는 $CO_2$의 양이 증가하는 것으로 파악되었다. 전체압력 0.4 atm에서 흡착된 $CO_2$는 동일한 진공에서 가장 많이 탈착되었고 $CH_4$는 가장 낮은 탈착량을 보여 고순도의 $CH_4$를 얻을 수 있음을 보였다.

Keywords

References

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