Pure and binary adsorption of CO2, H2, and N2 on activated carbon

A new developing field of application for pressure swing adsorption (PSA) processes is the capture of CO2 to mitigate climate change, especially the separation of CO2 and H2 in a pre-combustion context. In this process scheme the conditions of the feed to the separation step, namely a pressure of 3.5 to 4.5MPa and a CO2 fraction of around 40% are favorable for an adsorption based separation process and make PSA a promising technology. Among the commercial adsorbent materials, activated carbon is most suitable for this application. To evaluate the potential, to benchmark new materials, and for process development a sound basis of the activated carbon thermodynamic data is required, namely equilibrium adsorption isotherms of the relevant pure components and mixtures, Henry's constants and isosteric heats. In this work pure adsorption equilibria of CO2, H2 and N2 on commercial activated carbon (AP3-60 from Chemviron, Germany) are measured using a Rubotherm Magnetic Suspension Balance (MSB) (Bochum, Germany) in a wide temperature and pressure range. The data is used to fit the temperature dependent parameters of Langmuir and Sips (Langmuir-Freundlich) isotherms and to determine the Henry's constants as well as isosteric heats. Based on this evaluation different methods to evaluate the data are compared and discussed. With the pure isotherm parameters of the Sips isotherm binary adsorption is predicted using an empirical binary Sips equation and ideal adsorbed solution theory (IAST). The results are compared to binary measurements in the same MSB applying a gravimetric-chromatographic metho

Fixed bed adsorption of CO2/H2 mixtures on activated carbon: experiments and modeling

We present breakthrough experiments in a fixed bed adsorber packed with commercial activated carbon involving feed mixtures of carbon dioxide and hydrogen of different compositions. The experiments are carried out at four different temperatures (25°C, 45°C, 65°C and 100°C) and seven different pressures (1bar, 5bar, 10bar, 15bar, 20bar, 25bar and 35bar). The interpretation of the experimental data is done by describing the adsorption process with a detailed one-dimensional model consisting of mass and heat balances and several constitutive equations, such as an adsorption isotherm and an equation of state. The dynamic model parameters, i.e. mass and heat transfer, are fitted to one single experiment (reference experiment) and the model is then further validated by predicting the remaining experiments. Furthermore, the choice of the isotherm model is discussed. The assessment of the model accuracy is carried out by comparing simulation results and experimental data, and by discussing key features and critical aspects of the model. This study is valuable per se and a necessary step toward the design, development and optimization of a pressure swing adsorption process for the separation of CO2 and H2 for example in the context of a pre-combustion CO2 capture process, such as the integrated gasification combined cycle technolog

MCM-41, MOF and UiO-67/MCM-41 adsorbents for pre-combustion CO2 capture by PSA: adsorption equilibria

Three different adsorbent materials, which are promising for pre-combustion CO2 capture by a PSA (Pressure Swing Adsorption) process, are synthesized, pelletized and characterized. These materials are USO-2-Ni metal organic framework (MOF), mesoporous silica MCM-41 and a mixed material consisting of UiO-67 MOF bound with MCM-41. On these materials, equilibrium adsorption isotherms of CO2 and H2 are measured at different temperatures (25-140°C) in a wide pressure range (up to 15MPa). From the experimental data the parameters of different isotherm equations (Langmuir, Sips and Quadratic) are determined, together with the isosteric heats of adsorption. Binary adsorption of CO2/H2 mixtures on USO-2-Ni MOF is additionally measured and compared to predicted values using IAST (Ideal Adsorbed Solution Theory) showing a good agreement. The potential of the materials for the application of interest is evaluated by looking at their cyclic working capacity and compared to those of a commercial activated carbon. From this evaluation especially the USO-2-Ni MOF adsorbent looks promising compared to the commercial activated carbon. For the other two materials a smaller improvement, which is limited to lower temperatures, is expecte

Prediction of non-isothermal ternary gas-phase breakthrough experiments based on binary data

The results of breakthrough experiments in an adsorption column packed with commercial activated carbon for three binary CO2/N2 mixtures as well as for two ternary CO2/N2/H2 mixtures are presented. The experiments were carried out at two different temperatures (25 and 45°C), four different pressures (1, 5, 10 and 20bar) and three different flow rates. To analyze the experiments, the breakthrough profiles are simulated using a one-dimensional model consisting of material and energy balances together with the necessary constitutive equations. Transport parameters such as the heat and mass transfer coefficients are fitted to the results from the experiments with the binary mixtures (CO2/N2) and then compared to parameters obtained in a previous work (Adsorption 18: 143-161, 2012) for binary CO2/H2 mixtures. Furthermore, the parameters obtained for binary mixtures are used to predict the outcome of breakthrough experiments with ternary CO2/N2/H2 mixtures. These simulations are then tested by experiments, showing that their prediction capability is rather satisfactory for a large range of experimental conditions

Evaluation of an MPN test for the rapid enumeration of Pseudomonas aeruginosa in hospital waters.

In this study, the performance of a new most probable number (MPN) test (Pseudalert®/Quanti-Tray®) for the enumeration of Pseudomonas aeruginosa from hospital waters was compared with both international and national membrane filtration-based culture methods for P. aeruginosa: ISO 16266:2006 and UK The Microbiology of Drinking Water – Part 8 (MoDW Part 8), which both use Pseudomonas CN agar. The comparison based on the calculation of mean relative differences between the two methods was conducted according to ISO 17994:2014. Using both routine hospital water samples (80 from six laboratories) and artificially contaminated samples (192 from five laboratories), paired counts from each sample and the enumeration method were analysed. For routine samples, there were insufficient data for a conclusive assessment, but the data do indicate at least equivalent performance of Pseudalert®/Quanti-Tray®. For the artificially contaminated samples, the data revealed higher counts of P. aeruginosa being recorded by Pseudalert®/Quanti-Tray®. The Pseudalert®/Quanti-Tray® method does not require confirmation testing for atypical strains of P. aeruginosa, saving up to 6 days of additional analysis, and has the added advantage of providing confirmed counts within 24–28 hours incubation compared to 40–48 hours or longer for the ISO 16266 and MoDW Part 8 methods

LIPAD (LRRK2/Luebeck International Parkinson's Disease) Study Protocol:Deep Phenotyping of an International Genetic Cohort

Background: Pathogenic variants in the Leucine-rich repeat kinase 2 (LRRK2) gene are the most common known monogenic cause of Parkinson's disease (PD). LRRK2-linked PD is clinically indistinguishable from idiopathic PD and inherited in an autosomal dominant fashion with reduced penetrance and variable expressivity that differ across ethnicities and geographic regions.Objective: To systematically assess clinical signs and symptoms including non-motor features, comorbidities, medication and environmental factors in PD patients, unaffected LRRK2 pathogenic variant carriers, and controls. A further focus is to enable the investigation of modifiers of penetrance and expressivity of LRRK2 pathogenic variants using genetic and environmental data.Methods: Eligible participants are invited for a personal or online examination which comprises completion of a detailed eCRF and collection of blood samples (to obtain DNA, RNA, serum/plasma, immune cells), urine as well as household dust. We plan to enroll 1,000 participants internationally: 300 with LRRK2-linked PD, 200 with LRRK2 pathogenic variants but without PD, 100 PD patients with pathogenic variants in the GBA or PRKN genes, 200 patients with idiopathic PD, and 200 healthy persons without pathogenic variants.Results: The eCRF consists of an investigator-rated (1 h) and a self-rated (1.5 h) part. The first part includes the Movement Disorder Society Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating, Hoehn &Yahr, and Schwab & England Scales, the Brief Smell Identification Test, and Montreal Cognitive Assessment. The self-rating part consists of a PD risk factor, food frequency, autonomic dysfunction, and quality of life questionnaires, the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Inventory, and the Epworth Sleepiness as well as the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scales. The first 15 centers have been initiated and the first 150 participants enrolled (as of March 25th, 2021).Conclusions: LIPAD is a large-scale international scientific effort focusing on deep phenotyping of LRRK2-linked PD and healthy pathogenic variant carriers, including the comparison with additional relatively frequent genetic forms of PD, with a future perspective to identify genetic and environmental modifiers of penetrance and expressivityClinical Trial Registration:ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT04214509

Relevance of genetic testing in the gene-targeted trial era: the Rostock Parkinsons disease study.

Estimates of the spectrum and frequency of pathogenic variants in Parkinsons disease (PD) in different populations are currently limited and biased. Furthermore, although therapeutic modification of several genetic targets has reached the clinical trial stage, a major obstacle in conducting these trials is that PD patients are largely unaware of their genetic status and, therefore, cannot be recruited. Expanding the number of investigated PD-related genes and including genes related to disorders with overlapping clinical features in large, well-phenotyped PD patient groups is a prerequisite for capturing the full variant spectrum underlying PD and for stratifying and prioritizing patients for gene-targeted clinical trials. The Rostock Parkinsons disease (ROPAD) study is an observational clinical study aiming to determine the frequency and spectrum of genetic variants contributing to PD in a large international cohort. We investigated variants in 50 genes with either an established relevance for PD or possible phenotypic overlap in a group of 12 580 PD patients from 16 countries [62.3% male; 92.0% White; 27.0% positive family history (FH+), median age at onset (AAO) 59 years] using a next-generation sequencing panel. Altogether, in 1864 (14.8%) ROPAD participants (58.1% male; 91.0% White, 35.5% FH+, median AAO 55 years), a PD-relevant genetic test (PDGT) was positive based on GBA1 risk variants (10.4%) or pathogenic/likely pathogenic variants in LRRK2 (2.9%), PRKN (0.9%), SNCA (0.2%) or PINK1 (0.1%) or a combination of two genetic findings in two genes (∼0.2%). Of note, the adjusted positive PDGT fraction, i.e. the fraction of positive PDGTs per country weighted by the fraction of the population of the world that they represent, was 14.5%. Positive PDGTs were identified in 19.9% of patients with an AAO ≤ 50 years, in 19.5% of patients with FH+ and in 26.9% with an AAO ≤ 50 years and FH+. In comparison to the idiopathic PD group (6846 patients with benign variants), the positive PDGT group had a significantly lower AAO (4 years, P = 9 × 10-34). The probability of a positive PDGT decreased by 3% with every additional AAO year (P = 1 × 10-35). Female patients were 22% more likely to have a positive PDGT (P = 3 × 10-4), and for individuals with FH+ this likelihood was 55% higher (P = 1 × 10-14). About 0.8% of the ROPAD participants had positive genetic testing findings in parkinsonism-, dystonia/dyskinesia- or dementia-related genes. In the emerging era of gene-targeted PD clinical trials, our finding that ∼15% of patients harbour potentially actionable genetic variants offers an important prospect to affected individuals and their families and underlines the need for genetic testing in PD patients. Thus, the insights from the ROPAD study allow for data-driven, differential genetic counselling across the spectrum of different AAOs and family histories and promote a possible policy change in the application of genetic testing as a routine part of patient evaluation and care in PD

Pre-combustion CO2 capture for IGCC plants by an adsorption process

A promising approach to provide in the near future electricity from fossil fuels, for the worldwide increasing energy requirements with near-zero CO2 emissions is the IGCC (Integrated Gasification Combined Cycle) technology with pre-combustion CO2 capture. One important aspect within this technology is the development of advanced processes for the capture of CO2, i.e. its separation from hydrogen, with improved efficiency to decrease the energy consumption in this step. In our laboratory, the CO2/H2 separation by a pressure swing adsorption process is investigated, including both the experimental characterization of suitable commercial and new adsorbents as well as the development, design and optimization of a proper process concept including the required purification steps by a process simulation.ISSN:1876-610

Pure and binary adsorption of CO2, H-2, and N-2 on activated carbon

ISSN:0929-5607ISSN:1572-875