Adsorption of Nitrogen from Air to Produce Oxygen

In our current life, a severe challenge is faced with a lack of synthetic oxygen because of infection with the Coronavirus. Oxygen can be supplied by using selective adsorption of nitrogen from the air using Pressure-Vacuum Swing Adsorption (PVSA). The experimental layout consists of one column ( inner diameter 4 cm) packed with commercial Li. cation loaded on the zeolite low silica type x (Li-LSX zeolite), the particle size of zeolite is 0.4-0.8 mm of 9 cm in height. The effects of inlet air pressure 0.5-2.5 bar and inlet air flow rate 2-10 L min(-1) on outlet oxygen purity and recovery were studied. Also, the isotherm behavior was studied to determine the type of adsorption. The results showed that increasing inlet pressure and flow rate increased the amount of adsorbed nitrogen, i.e., increased oxygen purity in the outlet. The effect of pressure tended to reduce the adsorption over a certain limit 2.5 bar due to forcing gas molecules to enter the sites on the zeolite particles' surfaces. Optimization was oobserved (73.14 % purity, 2.4496 recovery, and 153.471 mmolKg(-1)s(-1)) with productivity of oxygen at 2.5 bar and 8 L min(-1). Also, the adsorption isotherm and breakthrough curve were studied.