An efficient propylene/propane separation technology is needed to obtain high-purity propylene, which is a raw material for polypropylene synthesis. Since conventional cryogenic distillation is an energy-intensive process due to the similar physicochemical properties of propylene and propane, adsorptive separation has gained considerable interest. In this study, we have computationally investigated the changes in adsorption separation performances by arbitrarily controlling the adsorption strength of open metal sites in two different types of metal-organic frameworks (MOFs). Through the evaluation of adsorptive separation performances in terms of working capacity, selectivity, and Adsorption Figure of Merit (AFM), we have suggested proper density and strength of adsorption sites as well as appropriate temperature condition to obtain optimal propylene/propane adsorptive separation performances.
[References]
Yang RT, Adsorbents: fundamentals and applications, John Wiley & Sons(2003).