2018 AIChE Annual Meeting

(478e) UTSA-16 Growth within 3D-Printed Co-Kaolin Monolith with High Selectivity for CO2/CH4, CO2/N2, and CO2/H2 Separation

Authors

Lawson, S. - Presenter, Missouri University of Science & Technology
Rezaei, F., Luleå University of Technology
St. Amour, M., Missouri University of Science and Technology
Rownaghi, A. A., Oklahoma State
UTSA-16 Growth within 3D-Printed Co-Kaolin Monolith with High Selectivity for CO2/CH4, CO2/N2, and CO2/H2 Separation

Shane Lawson, Marc St. Amour, Ali A. Rownaghi, Fateme Rezaei

Department of Chemical & Biochemical Engineering, Missouri University of Science and Technology, Rolla, MO 65409-1230, United States

Abstract

3D printing technology renders direct material modification a realistic and economic prospect. In our earlier works,1–3 we demonstrated the use of 3D printing for formulating various classes of solid adsorbents such as a zeolites, aminosilicates, and metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) into honeycomb monoliths as efficient gas-solid contactors for gas separation and purification processes. Using the techniques culminated previously, it has been recently shown that the combination of 3D-printing and precursor seeding may pave the way for highly selective adsorption contactors. In this work, 3D printing was utilized to dope kaolin-based monolith with UTSA-16 metal formation precursor (Co) whereupon an internal deposition was facilitated via a solvothermal synthesis approach. The cobalt weight loading in the kaolin support was varied systematically to optimize the MOF growth while retaining monolith mechanical integrity. The obtained UTSA-16 monolith with 90 wt% loading exhibited similar textural features and adsorption characteristics to its powder analogue while improving upon structural integrity. In comparison to previously developed 3D-printed UTSA-16 monoliths, the UTSA-16-kaolin monolith not only showed higher MOF loading, but also higher compression stress indicative of its robust structure. Furthermore, the 3D-printed UTSA-16-kaolin monolith displayed a comparable CO2 adsorption capacity to the UTSA-16 powder (3.1 vs. 3.5 mmol/g at 25 ºC and 1 bar) which was proportional to its loading. Selectivity values of 48, 237 and 3725 were obtained for CO2/CH4, CO2/N2, and CO2/H2, demonstrating good separation potential of the 3D-printed MOF monolith for various gas mixtures, as determined by both equilibrium and dynamic adsorption measurements. Overall, this work provides a novel route for the fabrication of UTSA-16 loaded monoliths which demonstrate both high MOF loading and mechanical integrity that could be readily applied to various CO2 capture applications.

References

  1. Thakkar et al. ACS. Mater. Interfaces 8 (41), 27753 (2016).
  2. Thakkar et al. ACS. Mater. Interfaces 9 (8), 7489 (2017).
  3. Thakkar et al. ACS. Mater. Interfaces 9 (41), 35908 (2017).