CO(2)/CH(4) and O(2)/N(2) kinetic selectivities of oil palm shell-based carbon molecular sieves

• Main Authors: Ahmad, M.A., Daud, W.M.A.W., Aroua, M.K.
• Format: Article
• Published: Journal of Oil Palm Research 2008
• Subjects: TA Engineering (General). Civil engineering (General); TP Chemical technology
• Online Access: http://eprints.um.edu.my/7460/; http://www.cabdirect.org/abstracts/20083187293.html?freeview=true

Carbon molecular sieves (CMS) have become an interesting area of adsorption due to their microporous nature and favourable separation factor on size and shape selectivity basis for many gaseous systems. In this work, CMS were prepared from locally available oil palm shell by thermal treatment of carbonization followed by steam activation, then benzene deposition. The carbonization of dried palm shell at 900 degrees C for 1 hr followed by steam activation at 30-420 min produced activated carbons with various degrees of burn-off. The highest micropore surface area and micropore volume of the activated samples were obtained at 53.2 burn-off. This sample was found suitable to be used as precursor for CMSs production in the deposition step. Subsequent benzene deposition onto activated samples at temperatures from 600 degrees C-900 degrees C for various benzene concentrations resulted in a series of CMS with different O(2)/N(2) and CO(2)/CH(4) kinetic selectivities.