No description available.

The gas-absorption/chemical-reaction (GACR) method used in chemical engineering to quantify gas-liquid interfacial area in reactor systems is adapted for the first time to measure the effective air-water interfacial area of natural porous media. Experiments were conducted with the GACR method, and two standard methods (X-ray microtomographic imaging and interfacial partitioning tracer tests) for comparison, using model glass beads and a natural sand. The results of a series of experiments conducted under identical conditions demonstrated that the GACR method exhibited excellent repeatability for measurement of interfacial area (A(ia)). Coefficients of variation for A(ia) were 3.5% for the glass beads and 11% for the sand. Extrapolated maximum interfacial areas (A(m)) obtained with the GACR method were statistically identical to independent measures of the specific solid surface areas of the media. For example, the A(m) for the glass beads is 29 (1) cm(-1), compared to 32 (3), 30 (2), and 31 (2) cm(-1) determined from geometric calculation, N2/BET measurement, and microtomographic measurement, respectively. This indicates that the method produced accurate measures of interfacial area. Interfacial areas determined with the GACR method were similar to those obtained with the standard methods. For example, A(ia)s of 47 and 44 cm(-1) were measured with the GACR and XMT methods, respectively, for the sand at a water saturation of 0.57. The results of the study indicate that the GACR method is a viable alternative for measuring air-water interfacial areas. The method is relatively quick, inexpensive, and requires no specialized instrumentation compared to the standard methods.

The present apparatus was used to obtain rate data for the absorption of oxygen in a catalysed liquid phase reaction with acetaldehyde. The effects of several system parameters, namely, acetaldehyde concentration, catalyst concentration, partial pressure of oxygen and temperature on the rate of absorption were studied. An attempt was made to correlate absorption rates and product distribution with mathematical models based on the film theory and existing kinetic models proposed by Bolland and Bawn. Absorption rates predicted by these semi-empirical correlations are compared with experimental values. The differential equations involving diffusion with chemical reaction were solved on the digital computer IBM 7040 and the analog computer PACE TRlO. / Thesis / Master of Engineering (MEngr)

The diploma thesis includes proposals suitable for usage of the technologies for clearing the biogas into a quality of substitute natural gas (SNG). The most suitable technology is chosen for the clearing the biogas out of the septic tanks of the laboratory for biologically decomposable waste treatment at Institute of process and environmental engineering. There is a calculation , a proposal and a realisation of the experimental unit for clearing the biogas performed.

Membrane gas absorption technology is considered as one of the promising alternatives to conventional techniques for CO2 separation from the flue gas of fossil fuels combustion. As a hybrid approach of chemical absorption and membrane separation, it may offer a number of important features, including operational flexibility, compact structure, linear scale up and predictable performance. The main challenge is the additional membrane mass transfer resistance, especially when this resistance increases due to the absorbent intruding into the membrane pores. In this thesis, the experimental was set up to investigate how the operating parameters affect the absorption performance when using absorbent in hollow fiber contactor, and to obtain the optimal range of operation parameters for the designated membrane gas absorption system . During 20 days’ continuous experiment, we observed that the CO2 mass transfer rate decreases significantly following the operating time, which is attributed to the increase of membrane mass transfer resistance resulting from partial membrane wetting. To better understand the wetting evolution mechanism, the immersion experiments were carried out to assume that the membrane fibers immersed in the absorbents would undergo similar exposure as those used in the membrane contactor. Various membrane characterization methods were used to illustrate the wetting process before and after the membrane fibers were exposed to the absorbents. The characterization results showed that the absorbent molecules diffuse into the polypropylene (PP) polymer during the contact with the membrane, resulting in the swelling of the membrane. In addition, the effects of operating parameters such as immersion time, CO2 loading, as well as absorbent type on the membrane wetting were investigated in detail. Finally, based on the analysis results, methods to smooth the membrane wetting were discussed. It was suggested that improving the hydrophobicity of PP membrane by surface modification may be an effective way to improve the membrane long-term performance. Modification of the polypropylene membrane by depositing a rough layer of PP was carried out in order to improve the non-wettability of membrane. The comparison of long-term CO2 absorption performance by PP membranes before and after modification proves that the modified polypropylene membranes retained higher hydrophobicity than the untreated polypropylene membrane. Therefore modification is likely to be more suitable for use in membrane gas absorption contactors for CO2 separation, particularly over long operation time.

<p>Membrane gas absorption technology is considered as one of the promising alternatives to conventional techniques for CO₂ separation from the flue gas of fossil fuels combustion. As a hybrid approach of chemical absorption and membrane separation, it may offer a number of important features, including operational flexibility, compact structure, linear scale up and predictable performance. The main challenge is the additional membrane mass transfer resistance, especially when this resistance increases due to the absorbent intruding into the membrane pores.</p><p>In this thesis, the experimental was set up to investigate how the operating parameters affect the absorption performance when using absorbent in hollow fiber contactor, and to obtain the optimal range of operation parameters for the designated membrane gas absorption system . During 20 days’ continuous experiment, we observed that the CO₂ mass transfer rate decreases significantly following the operating time, which is attributed to the increase of membrane mass transfer resistance resulting from partial membrane wetting.</p><p>To better understand the wetting evolution mechanism, the immersion experiments were carried out to assume that the membrane fibers immersed in the absorbents would undergo similar exposure as those used in the membrane contactor. Various membrane characterization methods were used to illustrate the wetting process before and after the membrane fibers were exposed to the absorbents. The characterization results showed that the absorbent molecules diffuse into the polypropylene (PP) polymer during the contact with the membrane, resulting in the swelling of the membrane. In addition, the effects of operating parameters such as immersion time, CO₂ loading, as well as absorbent type on the membrane wetting were investigated in detail. Finally, based on the analysis results, methods to smooth the membrane wetting were discussed. It was suggested that improving the hydrophobicity of PP membrane by surface modification may be an effective way to improve the membrane long-term performance.</p><p>Modification of the polypropylene membrane by depositing a rough layer of PP was carried out in order to improve the non-wettability of membrane. The comparison of long-term CO₂ absorption performance by PP membranes before and after modification proves that the modified polypropylene membranes retained higher hydrophobicity than the untreated polypropylene membrane. Therefore modification is likely to be more suitable for use in membrane gas absorption contactors for CO₂ separation, particularly over long operation time.</p>

The primary objective of this study was to develop a sensitive and cost-effective sorption system to analyze adsorption and diffusion of different gases on micro porous materials and nanotubes. A high pressure Quartz Crystal Microbalance (QCM) based adsorption apparatus for single-component gas was developed. A QCM is an acoustic-wave resonator in which the acoustic wave propagates through the crystal. Therefore, it is highly responsive to addition or removal of small amounts of mass adsorbed or deposited on the surface of the crystal. This mass sensitivity makes the QCM an ideal tool for the study of gas adsorption. The QCM-based adsorption apparatus is advantageous over the commercialized none-gravimetric and gravimetric equipment in a way that it is low-cost, highly sensitive and accurate for mass sorption applications, satisfactorily stable in a controlled environment, and can be used for thin films. The high pressure apparatus was calibrated using Matrimid 5218, whose thermodynamic properties and adsorption parameters are known. The Matrimid was spin-coated onto a 14 mm-diameter QCM, and sorption equilibrium data for were obtained for CO₂ gas at 25, 30, 48, and 52 ºC and partial pressure range between 0 to 4 bar. In order to compare the experimental data with available literature data, the experimental data was fitted into a dual-mode adsorption model. The model results from Henry's law and a Langmuir mechanism. Comparison of the experimental adsorption isotherm of Matrimide for CO₂ gas with literature data showed reasonable agreement between the experimental and literature data. In this study, the adsorption parameters of aluminosilicate nanotubes are observed. Aluminosilicate nanotubes are ideal materials for chemical sensing, molecule separation, and gas storage; hence, there is a need for adsorption and diffusion data on this material. The adsorption of CO₂, N₂, and CH₄ gases on aluminosilicate nanotubes samples has been studied in the temperature range of 20° to 120° Celsius and pressure range of 0 to 8 bar. The experimental results yield the CO₂ and N₂ heat of adsorptions of -32.9 and -28.1 kJ/mol respectively.

The synthesis method for PEG/alkyl-based imidazolium/pyridinium ionic liquids was studied. Four steps were used to fabricate the membranes: polymerization, chloromethylation, linkage of the polymers with the pendent groups and membrane cast. Permeabilities and CO2/N2 selectivity of two membranes were examined and each showed remarkable CO2/N2 selectivity. CO2 permeability of the [PSM-MIM][Cl] membrane is better than that of the [PSM-MEIM][Cl] membrane, which is due to the steric hindrance of the methoxyethyl group. The syntheses of PEG/alkyl-based imidazolium/pyridinium ionic liquids (IL) were studied. PEG-based ILs were demonstrated to have better H2S solubilities than the alkyl-based ILs. H2S solubilities of the imidazolium ILs and pyridinium ILs were compared. The anion effects on H2S solubilities have been investigated, while the temperature effects on H2S solubilities will need to be studied in the near future.

This diploma thesis deals with the separation process of air polutant on air scrubber. Absorption of carbon dioxide was carried out into 1 % solution of sodium hydroxide. Theoretical part is aimed at mass transportation, theory of absorption and examples of scrubbers. Experimental part focuses on some operating characteristics of scrubber and on optimisation of two-phase flow. The influence of hydrodynamic conditions on the absorption efficiency was found.

The Diploma thesis is devoted to the absorption of gases by the experimental gas scrubber. The main attention of the theoretical part is focused on the description of absorption, kinetics and the equilibrium between gas and liquid phase. Experimental part is concentrated on the absorption of carbon dioxide to deionized water in the experimental scrubber. Finally, experimental data are discussed.