Enhancing CH4/N2 adsorption separation performance of a commercial activated carbon by inorganic dynamic porogen modification

Activated carbon (AC) is a commonly used and readily available adsorbent for CH 4 and N 2 adsorption separation, however, it is seriously hindered by the uneven micropore size distribution of AC and inappropriate microporous size. In this work, a commercial AC was modified with CuCl 2 for addressing the limitation and thereby enhancing CH 4 /N 2 adsorption separation performance. According to in-situ X-ray diffraction analysis, Cu species were volatilized in the form of CuCl functioning as a dynamic porogen during thermal treatment. The process homogenized the initially irregular and broad pore size distribution of the original AC, which accounted for enhancing CH 4 /N 2 adsorption separation selectivity from 4.44 to 7.53. This investigation provides a powerful and potential modification approach for enhancing CH 4 /N 2 adsorption separation performance of the commercial AC.