Patent Application
20180154334
The present disclosure relates generally to methods for regenerating an article used for capturing carbon dioxide (CO2) from a gas stream and for removing a CO2 capture sorbent from an adsorbent honeycomb.
According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, a method of removing a CO2 capture sorbent from an adsorbent honeycomb is disclosed. In embodiments, the honeycomb includes an extruded mixture of a powder, a binder, and the sorbent. The adsorbent honeycomb is contacted with a volume of a polar organic fluid. The polar organic fluid removes the sorbent from the honeycomb. The binder is insoluble in the polar organic fluid.
According to another embodiment of the present disclosure, a method of changing a porosity characteristic of a CO2 adsorbent honeycomb is disclosed. The honeycomb includes an extruded mixture of a powder, a binder, and the sorbent. The honeycomb is contacted with a volume of a polar organic fluid configured to remove a sorbent from the honeycomb. The binder is insoluble in the polar organic fluid.
According to yet another embodiment of the present disclosure, a method of removing a first CO2 capture sorbent from a honeycomb and depositing a second CO2 capture sorbent on or in the honeycomb is disclosed. The honeycomb includes an extruded mixture of a powder, the first CO2 capture sorbent, and a binder. The honeycomb and a first volume of a polar organic fluid are contacted. The first volume of polar organic fluid removes the first sorbent from the honeycomb. The binder is insoluble in the first volume of polar organic fluid. The honeycomb and the first volume of polar organic fluid are separated. The first volume of polar organic fluid contains an amount of the first CO2 capture sorbent removed from the contacted honeycomb. The honeycomb and a second volume of polar organic fluid are contacted. The second volume of polar organic fluid includes a second CO2 capture sorbent. The second CO2 capture sorbent deposits on a surface of the honeycomb. The binder is insoluble in the second volume of the polar organic fluid.
In yet another embodiment of the present disclosure, a method of regenerating an adsorbent honeycomb is disclosed. The method includes contacting the adsorbent honeycomb with a volume of a polar organic liquid. In embodiments, the honeycomb includes an extruded mixture of a powder, a binder, and a CO2 capture sorbent. In embodiments, the method includes removing at least a portion of the CO2 capture sorbent from the honeycomb with the polar organic liquid. In embodiments, the binder is insoluble in the polar organic liquid.
The disclosure will be better understood, and features, aspects and advantages other than those set forth above will become apparent when consideration is given to the following detailed description thereof. Such detailed description makes reference to the following drawings, wherein:
Unless defined otherwise, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which the disclosure belongs. Although any methods and materials similar to or equivalent to those described herein can be used in the practice or testing of the present disclosure, the exemplary methods and materials are described below.
Referring to
In an exemplary embodiment of article 100, honeycomb 110 is formed from a mixture of a powder and a binder that are solidified to make up partition walls 120. In embodiments, honeycomb 110 may also include a liquid vehicle. The liquid vehicle within the support precursor slurry may be water, acetic acid, acetone, toluene, ethyl alcohol, dicholoromethane, octanoic acid, and any other common organic solvents capable of acting as a delivery vehicle for the inorganic particles. Referring to
In another exemplary embodiment of article 100, honeycomb 110 is formed from a mixture of the powder, the liquid vehicle, the binder, and the CO2 sorbent that are solidified to make up partition walls 120. Referring again to
In some embodiments, the powder in article 100 includes, but is not limited to, a high surface area and porous inorganic solid, for example alumina, silica, titania, amorphous and crystalline silicates, or combinations thereof and high surface area carbides such as high surface area silica carbide and other high surface area porous non-oxide inorganic solids. The powder may also include an inorganic oxide. The inorganic oxide may include, for example, non-refractory alumina, non-porous refractory powder, such as alpha alumina or cristobalite, an inorganic molecular silicate, a non-crystalline amorphous silica, a double-layered hydroxide, or combinations thereof. Examples of non-refractory alumina include, but are not limited to, boehmite, α-alumina, γ-alumina, and similar transition alumina phases including amorphous ρ-alumina. Examples of non-crystalline amorphous silica include, but are not limited to, precipitated silica, silica gel, and mesoporous silica. In one embodiment, the inorganic oxide may be a zeolite, including, for example, faujasites, or β-type, X-type, A-type, or MFI-type zeolites. The powder may also include activated carbon either by itself or in combination with one or more inorganic oxides.
The powder in article 100 may be processed prior to the manufacture of honeycomb 110 to provide the desired surface area. In some embodiments, the powder may be milled such that the resulting particle size distribution of the powder promotes poor particle packing, yielding high interstitial and inter-granular porosity that is less than 80% of the powder's theoretical bulk density, for example, less than 50% of the powder's bulk density. For example, the surface area of the powder may be greater than about 50 m2/gram, or greater than about 150 m2/gram. In yet other embodiments, the inorganic powder may be milled such that the surface area is from about 150 m2/gram to about 1000 m2/gram, of from about 150 m2/gram to about 800 m2/gram.
An increase in surface area of the powder may correspond with a decrease in pore size of processed honeycomb 110. Accordingly, high surface area of the powder may prevent the even distribution of the CO2 sorbent after the powder is processed into a honeycomb. For example, when the pore sizes of the powder are small as compared to the length of the CO2 sorbent, the CO2 sorbent group may tend to clog the pores, closing off the pores from a gas stream. Clogged pores reduce the efficacy of the article 100 in capturing CO2 because the clogged pores prevent access to the CO2 sorbent within the thickness of the channel walls. As such, the powder incorporated into honeycomb 110 in some embodiments has a mean pore size greater than about 2 nanometers. In some embodiments, the powder may have a mean pore size greater than about 3 nanometers. In yet further embodiments, the powder may have a mean pore size from about 4 nanometers (nm) to about 10 nanometers (nm).
The binder in article 100 may utilize a variety of materials including organic and inorganic binders. Examples of such binders include organic solids such as the cellulosics, methyl cellulose, hydroxyethyl cellulose and other cellulosics, Arabic gum, alginates, polymer binders such as vinyl acetate, acrylates, acrylic and vinyl latexes, thermoset polymers, such as phenolic resins, various monomers that could be polymerized in situ, polymers that can be cross-linked in situ, as well as silicones, alkoxides, and various clays, and other inorganic salts and materials, such as aluminum oxyhydroxide (boehmite), sodium silicate, and the like, as conventionally known.
The binder in article 100 maintains the powder in a pre-determined shape, even in the absence of the CO2 sorbent. In one embodiment, the binder is an organic compound that is a dispersible or soluble solid that has strength properties sufficient to maintain the shape of honeycomb 110 for low-stress, low-temperature applications, such that sintering of honeycomb 110 is unnecessary. The use of an unsintered powder component to form honeycomb 110 results in a honeycomb substrate having a high surface area and porosity as compared with the overall dimensions of honeycomb 110. The organic binder, such as cellulosics, polyethylene glycols and polyethylene oxides, polyvinyl compounds, polyvinyl pyrrolidones, and other polymers, also provides rheological performance to promote and maintain the substrate structure upon forming. The binder typically remains in honeycomb 110 after extrusion and subsequent processing. In some embodiments, the binder includes a material that sorbs CO2.
The CO2 sorbent of article 100 may include, but is not limited to, amine polymers, for example, polyethyleneimine (PEI), polyamidoamine (PAMAM), and polyvinyl amine. Examples of such compounds also include tetraethylenepentamine, diethanolamine, diethylenetriamine, pentaethylenehexamine, as well as alkyaminoalkoxysilanes such as dimethylaminopropyltrimethoxysilane, among others. CO2 sorbents in some embodiments may include the use of any and all nitrogenous-bearing organic compounds capable of absorbing CO2 as a carbonate or carbamate or other species. The CO2 sorbent in other embodiments, for example polyethyleneimine, may have a molecular weight from about 600 Daltons to about 10,000 Daltons.
According to an exemplary embodiment, to adsorb CO2, the CO2 sorbent may be dispersed throughout the powder of honeycomb 110 such that the CO2 sorbent is located in and on partition walls 120. The phrase “in the partition walls” as used herein, means the CO2 sorbent is located around and in the pores of discrete particles of the powder. The CO2 sorbent, in the case of a polymer or monomer, may be cross-linked both in and on partition walls 120 using a cross-linking agent and/or a polymerizing agent included in the mixture.
Article 100 described above may be used in various processes to capture CO2. In an example CO2 capture process, referring again to
In some CO2 capture processes, article 100 may have insufficient porosity so as to effectively contact and adsorb the desired quantity of CO2 from a carrier gas stream. That is, article 100 is sufficiently impenetrable that a gas stream containing CO2 cannot access the article's channels and/or pores and contact the CO2 sorbent. This may be caused by contaminates, fouling from the CO2 carrier gas, or overloading article 100 with CO2 sorbent during manufacturing. Accordingly, it might be desired that article 100 have additional porosity or an altered disposition of the sorbent within the pores to more effectively contact and adsorb the desired quantity of CO2 from a gas stream. In other CO2 capture processes, the pressure drop across article 100 may be too high for a particular operation. Accordingly, the disclosure below provides methods of changing a porosity characteristic of CO2 capture articles.
In an example CO2 capture process, desorption of the captured CO2 is desired. Various processes and methods exist to release CO2 from CO2 capture articles. In another example CO2 capture process, the CO2 sorbent is part of an ongoing cyclical process to repeatedly adsorb and desorb CO2 from a gas stream. However, for a number of reasons, over repeated adsorption cycles, the CO2 sorbent may degrade and/or lose capacity to adsorb CO2. Accordingly, the disclosure below provides methods for regenerating the CO2 sorbent.
In the present method for regenerating a CO2 capture article, honeycomb 110 contacts a fluid to remove the CO2 sorbent. In embodiments, the method may include contacting honeycomb 110 with a volume of a polar organic fluid. In another embodiment, the method may include removing at least a portion of the CO2 capture sorbent from honeycomb 110 with the polar organic fluid. The fluid may be a gas or a liquid capable of removing the CO2 sorbent from honeycomb 110. In an exemplary embodiment, the fluid will selectively dissolve or bond to the CO2 sorbent. Accordingly, the fluid removes all or portion of the CO2 sorbent from honeycomb 110. For example, depending on contact time and the solubility of the CO2 sorbent in the fluid, the fluid removes 1%, 5%, 10%, 20%, 30%, 40%, 50%, 60%, 70%, 80%, 90%, or up to 100% of the CO2 sorbent from honeycomb 110. In example embodiments the fluid removes from about 10% to about 100% of the CO2 sorbent from honeycomb 110, or from about 20% to about 100%, or even from about 20% to about 90%.
Contacting honeycomb 110 with the fluid includes immersing or soaking honeycomb 110 in the fluid, or alternatively, rinsing, washing, or flowing the fluid over honeycomb 110. In exemplary methods, contacting honeycomb 110 with the fluid includes bath immersion, recirculated washing (with or without vacuum), channel flushing, and similar methods to maximize contact between the fluid and honeycomb 110 and thereby improve CO2 sorbent removal efficacy. Depending on whether the fluid is a liquid or gas, CO2 sorbent removal from honeycomb 110 can be described as leaching, extraction, or stripping.
According to an exemplary embodiment, the fluid of the present method may include a liquid or gas capable of removing the CO2 sorbent from honeycomb 110. In one embodiment, the fluid is a polar organic liquid that is capable of removing a particular CO2 sorbent from honeycomb 110 of the present disclosure. In another embodiment, the fluid has a viscosity less than 300 centipoise (cP) to allow the fluid to penetrate the structure of honeycomb 110 and wet the internal and external surfaces of honeycomb 110. In embodiments, the viscosity may be greater than 0.5 centipoise (cP). Specifically, the fluid may penetrate the pores of honeycomb 110 to remove CO2 sorbent trapped therein. In alternative embodiments, the fluid contains a surfactant to lower the surface tension of the fluid. In embodiments, the surface tension of the fluid may be from about 0.5 dynes/cm to about 25 dynes/cm (at 25° C.), or even from about 20 dynes/cm to about 25 dynes/cm (at 25° C.).
In one embodiment, the fluid is an alcohol such as methanol, isopropyl alcohol, ethanol, propanol, butanol, and other similar simple alcohols which are capable of dissolving or chemically bonding to a particular CO2 sorbent of the present disclosure. In other embodiments, the liquid may be a glycol ether, a polyether, a ketone, an ester, an alcohol, or mixtures thereof sufficient to dissolve a particular CO2 sorbent of the present disclosure. In yet another embodiment, the fluid may be super-critical CO2. In yet another embodiment, the fluid is a polar solvent capable of removing a poly amine sorbent without altering the article structure retained by the powder and the binder. In exemplary embodiments, the fluid will not dissolve the powder and/or the binder in honeycomb 110. That is, the fluid is chosen to selectively dissolve the CO2 sorbent from honeycomb 110, but not the powder or binder. In another embodiment, the fluid can be a liquid or a gas.
The fluid volume contacting honeycomb 110 may be from about 0.1 to about 15 times larger than the total volume of honeycomb 110, or from about 2 to about 20 times the total volume of honeycomb 110. In an exemplary embodiment, the fluid volume may be about 5 to about 10 times the total volume of honeycomb 110. Increasing the volume of the fluid contacting honeycomb 110 will increase the CO2 sorbent removal efficacy. When contacting honeycomb 110, the fluid may be at a temperature from about 20° C. to about 26° C. Honeycomb 110 may also be at a temperature from about 20° C. to about 26° C. when contacting the fluid. The contacting temperatures of the fluid and honeycomb 110 may be optimized so as to increase the CO2 sorbent removal rate. In one embodiment, the fluid contacting temperature is less than a temperature where the binder is soluble in the fluid. The contacting temperature may also be below a temperature that would compromise the structure of honeycomb 110.
In the present method, honeycomb 110 and the fluid are contacted for a time to achieve a desired removal of CO2 sorbent. The contact time can be 2 minutes or less, 5 minutes or less, or 10 minutes or less, for example, up to 60 minutes or less when the fluid concentration and/or contact temperature is low (e.g., about 20-25° C.). In one embodiment, the contact time is such that about 70% or more of the total adsorption capacity of article 100 is exposed to the fluid so as to saturate the chemically and physically available sites. Contacting honeycomb 110 with the fluid will remove at least a portion of the CO2 capture sorbent from honeycomb 110. Contacting honeycomb 110 with the fluid will also change a porosity characteristic of honeycomb 110, such as the overall porosity, mean pore size, and/or total pore volume. For example, contacted honeycomb 110 has a porosity increase of about 20% to about 50%, and even up to about 100%, following contact with the fluid. Contacted honeycomb 110 also has a mean pore size decrease of about 10% to about 75% following contact with the fluid. Contacted honeycomb 110 further has a total pore volume increase of about 100% to about 120% following contact with the fluid. Further, contacted honeycomb 110 has a total surface area increase of about 50% to about 150% following contact with the fluid.
After honeycomb 110 and the fluid are contacted according to the present method, honeycomb 110 and the fluid are separated. This involves removing honeycomb 110 from the fluid or removing the fluid from surrounding honeycomb 110. In exemplary embodiments, the removed fluid will contain an amount of the CO2 sorbent removed from honeycomb 110. The amount of the CO2 sorbent contained in the removed fluid will depend on the contact time, the contact temperature, and the solubility of the CO2 sorbent in the fluid. For example, the fluid contains 1%, 5%, 10%, 20%, 30%, 40%, 50%, 60%, 70%, 80%, 90%, or up to 100% of the CO2 sorbent from contacted honeycomb 110.
In one embodiment of the present method, following separation of honeycomb 110 and the fluid, honeycomb 110 may be rinsed with a second volume of the fluid or another similar gas or liquid to remove residual fluid or CO2 sorbent from honeycomb 110. In another embodiment, honeycomb 110 is dried at a room temperature between about 16° C. and about 26° C. Alternatively, honeycomb 110 is thermally heated to dry at a temperature between about 30° C. to about 60° C. to remove residuals of the fluid or CO2 sorbent from honeycomb 110.
In another embodiment of the present method, the CO2 sorbent is removed from honeycomb 110 and another CO2 sorbent is deposited on honeycomb 110. In one step of this method, honeycomb 110 and a first fluid are contacted to remove the CO2 sorbent from honeycomb 110. In another step, honeycomb 110 and the first fluid may be separated. In another step, a regeneration fluid may be prepared containing a mixture of CO2 sorbent and a solvent. In a further step, contacted honeycomb 110 and a regeneration fluid may be contacted to deposit CO2 sorbent on the surface of contacted honeycomb 110. In yet another step, twice contacted honeycomb 110 and the regeneration fluid may be separated.
CO2 sorbent contained within the regeneration fluid may be previously unused CO2 sorbent or CO2 sorbent recycled from a previous CO2 sorbent removal method as described above. The solvent of the regeneration fluid may be a liquid or a gas. Alternatively, the solvent is the same chemical compound as the fluid used to remove CO2 sorbent from honeycomb 110 as described in the methods above. In exemplary embodiments of the present method, the solvent is a chemical compound capable of dissolving or reducing the viscosity of the CO2 sorbent contained in the regeneration fluid. In exemplary embodiments, the solvent will not dissolve the powder and/or the binder in honeycomb 110. That is, the solvent is chosen to selectively dissolve or reduce the viscosity of the CO2 sorbent. In another embodiment, the regeneration fluid contains surfactants and/or dispersants to assist with depositing the CO2 sorbent on honeycomb 110.
In embodiments of the present method, the removed CO2 sorbent and the subsequently deposited CO2 sorbent are the same or a different chemical compound. Alternatively, the subsequently deposited CO2 sorbent is the same material as the removed CO2 sorbent. That is, the removed CO2 sorbent is immediately re-deposited on honeycomb 110 or treated, regenerated, or reactivated and then re-deposited on honeycomb 110.
Contacting the previously contacted honeycomb 110 with the regeneration fluid includes immersing or soaking honeycomb 110 in the regeneration fluid, or alternatively, rinsing, washing, or flowing the regeneration fluid over honeycomb 110. In exemplary methods, contacting honeycomb 110 with the regeneration fluid includes bath immersion, recirculated impregnation (with or without vacuum), and similar methods to maximize contact between the regeneration fluid and honeycomb 110 and thereby improve the amount of CO2 sorbent deposited on contacted honeycomb 110.
The methods of the present disclosure for regenerating a CO2 capture article will be further clarified with reference to the following examples.
A honeycomb was prepared by mixing a batch including 65 wt. % silica gel, 32 wt. % liquid PEI, 6 wt. % hydroxypropyl methyl cellulose, and 1 wt. % Durasyn 162. The batch was plasticized and extruded into a honeycomb structure having about 400 flow channels per square inch defined by partition walls having a thickness of about 0.18 millimeters (0.007 inches). The honeycomb was dried for several days at about 40° C. High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) analysis determined that the dried honeycomb contained about 30 wt. % PEI.
The honeycomb was then evaluated using the (i) Branauner-Emmett-Teller (BET) Surface Area Analysis; (ii) the Barrett-Joyner-Halenda (BJH) Pore Size and Volume Analysis; and (iii) Mercury Intrusion Porosimetry (MIP) and Image Analysis. The honeycomb with PEI evaluation results are provided in Table 1 below.
Subsequently, the honeycomb was immersed in a pure methanol bath for about 10 minutes to remove the PEI. The ratio of the methanol volume to the honeycomb total volume was about 10:1. The honeycomb was removed from the bath, rinsed with fresh methanol, and dried for 10 minutes at 30° C.-60° C. The honeycomb was again immersed in a fresh, pure methanol bath, rinsed with methanol, and dried as described above 3 times. Upon physical inspection, the methanol did not weaken the structural integrity of the composite honeycomb. HPLC Analysis determined that the dried, methanol washed honeycomb contained about 12 wt. % PEI.
The honeycomb with PEI removed was then evaluated using the (i) BET Analysis; (ii) BJH Analysis; and (iii) and MIP Analysis. The honeycomb after PEI removal evaluation results are provided in Table 2 below.
The evaluation results in Tables 1 and 2 provide a comparison of a honeycomb's characteristics before and after PEI removal by methanol. When PEI was removed, the surface area of the honeycomb increased by about 156%. Also, the total porosity of the honeycomb increased by 50%. Further, the pore volume of the honeycomb increased by about 100% to about 120% as determined by BJH Analysis and MIP Analysis, respectively. The median pore size decreased by about 75% as the methanol removed PEI from smaller pores in the partition walls of the honeycomb.
A 15 cm long honeycomb (different than the honeycomb used in Example 1) was prepared by mixing a batch including 65 wt. % silica gel, 32 wt. % liquid PEI, 6 wt. % hydroxypropyl methyl cellulose, and 1 wt. % Durasyn 162. The batch was plasticized and extruded into a honeycomb structure having about 400 flow channels per square inch defined by partition walls having a thickness of about 0.18 millimeters (0.007 inches). The honeycomb was dried for several days at about 40° C. The dried honeycomb weighed 24.34 grams.
The honeycomb was immersed in a methanol bath for about 10 minutes to remove the PEI. The ratio of the methanol volume to the honeycomb total volume was about 10:1. The honeycomb was removed from the bath, dried for 15 minutes at 30° C.-60° C., and then weighed. Three additional times, the honeycomb was immersed in a fresh methanol bath, dried, and weighed. The weight of the honeycomb after each methanol immersion and subsequent drying is provided in Table 3 below.
The evaluation results in Table 3 provide that the mass of the honeycomb decreases by about 22 wt. %, corresponding to the removal of PEI, after the fourth methanol wash and dry.
PEI with a molecular weight of about 600-800 grams/mol was diluted in a methanol solution to create a 97 mL mixture with a volumetric ratio of about 5:1 methanol to PEI. The honeycomb after methanol wash 4 from above was half-immersed in the methanol/PEI mixture for 5 minutes and then inverted to immerse the other half for 5 minutes in the mixture. Subsequently, the honeycomb was dried and weighed. Two additional times, the honeycomb was half-immersed and inverted to immerse the other half in a fresh methanol/PEI mixture, dried, and weighed. The weight of the honeycomb after each methanol/PEI mixture immersed and subsequent drying is provided in Table 4 below.
The evaluation results in Table 4 provide that the mass of the honeycomb increased by about 60 wt. %, corresponding to the uptake of PEI, after the third methanol/PEI mixture wash and dry. Unexpectedly, the PEI contained on the honeycomb after three methanol/PEI mixture washes is greater than the PEI amount contained in the original honeycomb by about 85%.
A honeycomb similar to that provided in Example 1, but devoid of PEI, is prepared.
A mixture of ethanol and tetraethoxysilane (TEOS) is prepared such that the amount of TEOS in the mixture is about 30 wt. % silicon dioxide (SiO2). The honeycomb (free of PEI) is immersed in the alcohol/TEOS mixture for 5-10 minutes to infuse the honeycomb with TEOS. Subsequently, the honeycomb is removed from the mixture. Excess alcohol/TEOS mixture entrained in the honeycomb is removed with an air knife. The part is dried for 10 minutes at 26° C. and then for 10 minutes at 70° C. in an oven. The honeycomb is then calcined at about 400° C.-600° C. for about 2-4 hours to thermally degrade and remove the hydroxypropyl methyl cellulose from the honeycomb structure. During calcination, the TEOS is converted to SiO2 in and on the honeycomb to ensure the honeycomb's structural integrity without the presence of hydroxypropyl methyl cellulose.
PEI with a molecular weight of about 600-800 grams/mol is diluted in a methanol solution to create a mixture with a volumetric ratio from about 1:1 to about 5:1 methanol to PEI. Following calcination, the honeycomb is immersed in the methanol/PEI mixture for about 5-10 minutes. PEI uptake in and on the honeycomb is expected similar to that provided in Table 4. Subsequently, the honeycomb is dried at about 30° C.-60° C. for about 2-4 hours.
A honeycomb is prepared similar to that as provided in Example 1.
The honeycomb is used in a CO2 capture process until the PEI is degraded via oxidation. Subsequently, the honeycomb is calcined at about 400° C.-600° C. for about 2 hours to completely oxidize the PEI and remove the PEI from the honeycomb structure.
PEI with a molecular weight of about 600-800 grams/mol is diluted in a methanol solution to create a mixture with a volumetric ratio from about 1:1 to about 5:1 methanol to PEI. Following calcination, the honeycomb is immersed in the methanol/PEI mixture for 5-10 minutes to infuse the honeycomb with PEI. Subsequently, the honeycomb was dried at about 30° C.-60° C. for several days. PEI uptake in and on the honeycomb is expected similar to that provided in Table 4.
A honeycomb is prepared similar to that as provided in Example 1.
The honeycomb is used in a CO2 capture process until the PEI is degraded via oxidation. Subsequently, the honeycomb is placed in a PEI regeneration plug-flow type reactor. The reactor includes a structure capable of encapsulating the honeycomb. The reactor includes an inlet and outlet at opposite ends of the reactor to flow fluid through the reactor. Methanol is flowed through the reactor to contact the honeycomb and leach the PEI from the honeycomb. The volume of methanol flowed through the reactor would be from about 2-20 times the volume of the bulk honeycomb. Flow rate is adjusted to achieve results similar to Table 3 in about 40 minutes or less.
As used in this specification and the appended claims, the singular forms “a”, “an”, and “the” encompass embodiments having plural referent, unless the content clearly dictates otherwise.
Also herein, all numbers are assumed to be modified by the term “about” and preferably by the term “exactly.” Notwithstanding that the numerical ranges and parameters setting forth the broad scope of the invention are approximations, the numerical values set forth in the specific examples are reported as precisely as possible. All numerical values, however, inherently contain certain variability necessarily resulting from the standard deviation found in their respective testing measurements. Absent an understanding by one of ordinary skill in the art to the contrary, numbers modified by the term “about” herein means±5%.
It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made to the embodiments described herein without departing from the spirit and scope of the claimed subject matter. Thus it is intended that the specification cover the modifications and variations of the various embodiments described herein provided such modification and variations come within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents.
This application claims the benefit of priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119 of U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 62/166,318 filed on May 26, 2015, the content of which is relied upon and incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/US2016/032861 | 5/17/2016 | WO | 00 |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 62166318 | May 2015 | US |
