Abstract: The separation of ethylene and ethane is a crucial, challenging and cost-intensive process in chemical engineering. Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) are a class of novel porous adsorbents used for the separation of ethylene/ethane mixtures. However, MOFs are normally crystalline powders that cause multiple problems, such as dust, abrasion and heat/mass loss, as well as significant pressure drops on the adsorption bed resulting in a sudden stop in production. To solve these issues, we have prepared four different sphere-shaped adsorbents, including Mg-gallate, Co-gallate, MUV-10(Mn) and MIL-53(Al) using a calcium alginate method to achieve excellent ethylene/ethane separation performance. The performance of the sphere-shaped adsorbents has been validated using mechanical strength measurements, powder X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, gas adsorption isotherms and dynamic breakthrough experiments. The excellent mechanical strength of these sphere-shaped adsorbents meets the criteria for industrial application in gas separation. Thus, the energy consumption and operating cost will be further reduced in the ethylene production process. We believe that this shaping method will open a prosperous route to the development of MOFs toward higher technology levels and their commercial application.

Key words: Metal-organic frameworks, Alginates, Shaping, Mechanical properties, Adsorption, Separation

摘要： The separation of ethylene and ethane is a crucial, challenging and cost-intensive process in chemical engineering. Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) are a class of novel porous adsorbents used for the separation of ethylene/ethane mixtures. However, MOFs are normally crystalline powders that cause multiple problems, such as dust, abrasion and heat/mass loss, as well as significant pressure drops on the adsorption bed resulting in a sudden stop in production. To solve these issues, we have prepared four different sphere-shaped adsorbents, including Mg-gallate, Co-gallate, MUV-10(Mn) and MIL-53(Al) using a calcium alginate method to achieve excellent ethylene/ethane separation performance. The performance of the sphere-shaped adsorbents has been validated using mechanical strength measurements, powder X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, gas adsorption isotherms and dynamic breakthrough experiments. The excellent mechanical strength of these sphere-shaped adsorbents meets the criteria for industrial application in gas separation. Thus, the energy consumption and operating cost will be further reduced in the ethylene production process. We believe that this shaping method will open a prosperous route to the development of MOFs toward higher technology levels and their commercial application.

关键词: Metal-organic frameworks, Alginates, Shaping, Mechanical properties, Adsorption, Separation