Pushpa Gupta

THE REMOVAL OF FURFURAL FROM WATER BY ADSORPTION WITH POLYMERIC RESINS

The removal of furfural from water by adsorption on a polymeric resin XAD-4 was studied. Equilibrium isotherm measurements were made and column dynamic data collected under various sets of operating conditions. The axial-dispersed plug-flow model was used to simulate the experimental data. The linear driving force parameters required in these simulations were determined independently of the column measurements, providing a more versatile simulation model. The model predicts the breakthrough curves with a fair degree of accuracy.

Liquid—liquid equilibrium studies on hydrocarbon (C10C20)—sulfolane systems

Abstract Equilibrium tie line data have been determined at 60 and 100°C with sulfolane and five model hydrocarbon mixtures consisting of butylbenzene—dodecane, hexylbenzene—dodecane, hexylbenzene—cetane, octylbenzene—dodecane and octylbenzene—cetane. The data so obtained have been predicted by UNIFAC and correlated by NRTL and UNIQUAC model equations. The alkylbenzenes used in the study were prepared in the laboratory.

Carbon Di-Oxide Removal with Mesoporous Adsorbents in a Single Column Pressure Swing Adsorber

Abstract A five-step PSA cycle was studied for CO2 separation from CO2-N2 gas mixture in a single column at elevated temperatures using Poly-ethyleneimine (PEI) impregnated mesoporous silica SBA-15 as adsorbent. The PSA cycle study included a strong adsorptive rinse step in which the strongly adsorbed component, i.e., CO2 was used for rinsing the adsorbent bed in order to increase the purity of CO2 product. The study indicates that the adsorbent is regenerable under typical PSA conditions. The productivity of the adsorbent studied for CO2 separation was found to be comparable with commercial zeolite adsorbents as reported in literature.

[Cu3(BTC)2]-polyethyleneimine: an efficient MOF composite for effective CO2 separation

Increased CO2 concentration in the earth’s atmosphere results in global warming and has increased concerns towards the development of efficient strategies for carbon capture and storage. CO2 separation from flue gas is one of the most challenging areas. Here, a Cu-BTC MOF and a series of polyethyleneimine (PEI) incorporated Cu-BTC composites (Cu-BTC–PEI) with different loading amounts of PEI have been developed for CO2 separation. A significant increase in CO2 adsorption capacity was observed with Cu-BTC–PEI adsorbents. Detailed characterization of the developed adsorbents was done using XRD, SEM, BET surface area and IR. The synthesized adsorbents show good CO2/N2 selectivity for a designed flue gas composition containing 15 vol% CO2 and the remainder as N2. 2.5 wt% PEI loaded Cu-BTC (Cu-BTC–PEI-2.5) has shown a CO2 adsorption capacity of 0.83 mmol g−1 at a pressure of 0.15 bar and 25 °C which is almost double that of Cu-BTC in similar conditions. But at an elevated pressure of 5 bar and 25 °C, 1 wt% PEI loaded Cu-BTC (Cu-BTC–PEI-1) performed even better with a CO2 adsorption capacity of 10.57 mmol g−1. Better adsorption capacity and selectivity for CO2 was obtained with Cu-BTC–PEI composites and they are good aspirant adsorbents for CO2 separation from flue gas.

Liquid-liquid equilibrium studies on systems comprising mixtures of tetralin or C4- or C6-alkyltetralins with cetane and sulpholane

Abstract This paper describes liquid-liquid equilibrium data generated for systems comprising mixtures of tetralin or C4- or C6-alkyltetralins with cetane and sulpholane at 60 and 100°C. The alkyltetralins used for these studies were prepared in this laboratory, by Friedel-Crafts alkylation of tetralin, as mixtures of isomeric components. The experimentally generated equilibrium data were predicted by using UNIFAC and correlated by UNIQUAC and NRTL solution models by representing the alkylated tetralins by averaged structures. It was observed that the values predicted by use of these average structure models were in good agreement with experimental results.