CTS-9401935 Purdue University Research Foundation Phillip C. Wankat ABSTRACT The central focus of this research will be the development of displacement chromatography for the separation of gases with pressure, vacuum or thermal swings to regenerate the column. Operation modes will be tested that utilize the least adsorbing species in a multicomponent mixture as the carrier gas and the strongest adsorber as the displacement fluid. Several systems will be examined including separation of light hydrocarbons and hydrogen as well as carbon dioxide and methane with either hydrogen or nitrogen. Theoretical descriptions of the process will include modification of local equilibrium models and development of realistic rate models. Separation of gases is important for a number of industries. Current methods can be difficult and expensive to perform in practice. New processes like those to be studied in this project may help to production costs.
