The Removal of Oxygen from Air by Pressure Swing Adsorption with Carbonaceous Adsorbent Made from Saran Waste

Abstract

The removal of oxygen from air was examined with a. carbonaceous adsorbent made from a Saran waste. The Saran waste was first decomposed and carbonized at 600°C. Then, adding 9.1 wt% of microcrystalline cellulose or sulfite pulp waste liquor as a pelletizing agent and 4.5-27.3 wt% of coal tar pitch as a binder of carbon, the Saran char was granulated into sphere using a disc-type pelletizer. Thus spherical particles obtained were heated at 850°C or 1000°C in the stream of nitrogen in an indirect-heated rotary kiln (Table 1). By the pressure swing adsorption with ca.200 g of these carbonaceous adsorbents, the oxygen concentration of the effluent gas could be controlled to 0.1-0.2% by volume. It was found that the concentration of oxygen decreased with the increase of adsorption pressure and the decrease of the flow rate of the effluent gas (Figs.3 and 5). The carbonaceous adsorbent prepared at 850°C from the mixture of 81.8 wt% of Saran char, 9.1 wt% of coal tar pitch and 9.1 wt% of the sulfite pulp waste liquor was found to be most suitable for the removal of oxygen from air (Table 2).