TY  - JOUR
AU  - Liu, Jinhui
AU  - Sun, Xiaolong
AU  - Teng, Fei
AU  - Xia, Qibin
AU  - Li, Zhong
AU  - Wu, Ying
AU  - Zhou, Xin
PY  - 2026
TI  - Two-step preparation of asphalt-based porous carbon adsorbent with superior C2H6/CH4 selectivity for ethane recovery from natural gas
JO  - Green Chemical Engineering
SN  - 2096-9147
SP  - 200
EP  - 208
VL  - 7
IS  - 2
AB  - Efficient recovery of ethane (C2H6) from natural gas is of industrial importance, yet it poses considerable challenges. Herein, we report the two-step green preparation of asphalt-based carbon adsorbent Asphalt-based Carbon adsorbents (AsCs) with exceptional C2H6/CH4 selectivity and high capacity, where the KOH usage can be significantly reduced by 75% than conventional chemical activation processes. More importantly, the resulting AsC-0.75-900 exhibits exceptional C2H6/CH4 separation performance with the ideal adsorbed solution theory (IAST) selectivity of 30.74 and C2H6 capacity of 4.53 mmol/g at 298 K and 100 kPa. Notably, even at the low pressure of 10 kPa, its C2H6 uptake remains high at 2.25 mmol/g, comparable to many advanced metal-organic frameworks (MOFs). Molecular simulation was used to elucidate the adsorption mechanism. Fixed-bed experiments further demonstrate dynamic separation performance, achieving complete separation of a C2H6/CH4 binary mixture (10:90, v/v) at ambient condition. In addition to superior separation performance, AsC-0.75-900 offers inherent structural stability and cost-effectiveness, positioning it a highly promising candidate for C2H6 recovery from natural gas.
UR  - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gce.2024.10.007
DO  - 10.1016/j.gce.2024.10.007