Highly efficient adsorbent design using a Cu-BTC/CuO/carbon fiber paper composite for high CH4/N2 selectivity

Abstract

A highly efficient adsorbent containing a Cu-BTC/CuO/CFP composite with a microporous copper benzene–1,3,5-tricarboxylate/CuO coating on a macroporous carbon fiber paper was designed via atomic layer deposition with the synthesis time of 6 h. The existing moderate CuO in Cu-BTC/CuO/CFP forms micropores between CuO and Cu-BTC and CuO and CFP to promote selectivity of CH₄/N₂. The effects of synthesis time and CuO content on the selectivity of CH₄/N₂ and effective thermal conductivity were experimentally investigated. The pressure drop and adsorption rate of the adsorption bed and temperature response of the desorption bed were numerically predicted. The selectivity of equimolar CH₄/N₂ for Cu-BTC/CuO/CFP (0.30 : 0.13 : 0.57) (6 h) is 2.15–2.65 times higher than that of pure Cu-BTC. The Cu-BTC/CuO/CFP material has higher effective thermal conductivity, lower pressure drop, higher adsorption rate, and better temperature uniformity compared to pure Cu-BTC powder in the adsorption bed.