Asphaltene-Derived Activated Carbon and Carbon Nanotube Membranes for CO₂ Separation

Abstract

Due to large energy requirements of the traditional gas separation processes, novel and less energy-intensive technologies, such as adsorption- and membrane-based ones, are anticipated to play major role in future industrial separations. Thus, finding new means for economical fabrication of materials related to these processes is of significant importance to facilitate their implementation in large-scale operations. In this work, we synthesized high-quality activated porous carbons (AC) and carbon nanotube (CNT) membranes using asphaltene, an abundant waste of the petroleum industry. The resulting materials were tested for CO2 separation in adsorption and membrane modes. Among the various porous carbons produced, AC from raw asphaltene reached a CO2 sorption capacity of 7.56 mmol/g at 4 bar and 25 °C with a relatively low heat of adsorption (up to 23 kJ/mol) implying low energy requirement for regeneration. The versatility of the asphaltene precursors in the formation of carbon nanomaterials was also demonstrated by growing, for the first time, CNT membranes via template-based, catalyst-free carbonization of asphaltene inside the pores of anodized alumina. The resulting CNT membranes attained a promising separation performance with permeability ratios exceeding the respective Knudsen values for H2/CO2, N2/CO2, N2/CH4, and H2/CH4 gas pairs.

Mini-Review on the Application of Nanomaterials in Improving Anti-Aging Properties of Asphalt

“…In this class, carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and carbon nanofibers (CNFs) were adopted to modify asphalt and enhance the anti-aging properties of asphalt. CNTs are formed by one or more graphite sheet(s) with a single-atom thickness, which is rolled up to a seamless and hollow cylinder with a nanoscale diameter. , According to differences in the numbers of the walls, usually the types of CNTs are divided into single-wall and multi-wall CNTs. Single-wall CNTs have fewer surface defects and more functional groups than the multi-wall type, while the former is difficult to produce and needs higher costs than the latter.…”

Perovskites in the Energy Grid and CO2 Conversion: Current Context and Future Directions

“…CO 2 treatment systems combining conversion with capture in a cost-efficient manner are particularly attractive toward commercialization. On the capture side, reduction of the cost of CO 2 separation processes could be implemented by focusing on (i) improving the efficiency of the capture materials [6,7,[68][69][70] and (ii) optimizing process design and reducing the cost of equipment [71][72][73][74][75]. In addition, considerable time and financial investments are needed in order to develop the relevant cost-effective technologies to enhance the production of chemicals, while reducing the associated costs of the used systems.…”

Metal Organic Framework — Based Mixed Matrix Membranes for Carbon Dioxide Separation: Recent Advances and Future Directions

“…In general, for the two applications of natural gas treatment and post-combustion capture, significant research efforts are focusing on improving the existing technologies and developing new routes for CO 2 removal. Examples of such efforts focus on improved alkanolamines absorption schemes (Vinoba et al, 2013 ), adsorption (Bhagiyalakshmi et al, 2011 ; Kueh et al, 2018 ), chemisorption (Wang et al, 2005 ; Qaroush et al, 2017 ), membrane technology (Luis et al, 2012 ; Adewole et al, 2013 ; Veziri et al, 2015 ), cryogenic (Maqsood et al, 2014 ; Surmi, 2019 ), and enzymatic (Pierre, 2012 ; Gundersen et al, 2014 ) processing.…”