AIR SEPARATION CHARACTERISTICS OF PRESSURE SWING ADSORPTION APPARATUS USING MOLECULAR-SIEVING CARBON

Two kinds of granular molecular sieving carbon (MSC) which had different adsorption properties were prepared froin polyvinyl alcohol (PVA)/phenolic resin. Air separation experiments were carried out by a pressure swing adsorption (PSA) method with these MSC, both at practical and at laboratory scale. From comparison of these experiments, the following results were obtained. In pactical-scale experiments, maximum pressure of the adsorber during the adsorption process is lower for sample A, which has relatively large micropores compared to sample B, which has relatively small micropores. It was also found that high-purity nitrogen gas is obtained for sample A in a shorter adsorption period and for sample B in a longer adsorption period. This tendency can be explained from the results of laboratory-scale PSA experiments. The product gas flow per unit bed volume for a practical-scale PSA is estimated to be about 73 % of that for a laboratory-scale PSA at the same nitrogen purity.