@article{Liu2026, 
author = {Jinhui Liu and Xiaolong Sun and Fei Teng and Qibin Xia and Zhong Li and Ying Wu and Xin Zhou},
title = {Two-step preparation of asphalt-based porous carbon adsorbent with superior C2H6/CH4 selectivity for ethane recovery from natural gas},
year = {2026},
journal = {Green Chemical Engineering},
volume = {7},
number = {2},
pages = {200-208},
keywords = {Asphalt, Two-step preparation, Porous carbon, C2H6/CH4 separation, Adsorptive selectivity},
url = {https://www.sciopen.com/article/10.1016/j.gce.2024.10.007},
doi = {10.1016/j.gce.2024.10.007},
abstract = {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.}
}