Equilibrium Test Unit (ETU)
Measurement of the equilibrium and kinetic parameters of adsorbents forms the
basis on which design can proceed. Although the ASAP2010 analyzer can be
used to measure equilibrium adsorption, it is restricted to a maximum pressure
of 1000mmHg and is time consuming to run for different gases. To enable
rapid acquisition of equilibrium data up to 30 bar, an equilibrium test unit has
been built based on the volumetric principle. The system is capable of
measuring pure component adsorption isotherms from -20°C to >80°C with
samples of 1-2g. Gas changeover is rapid and a degassing facility is also
available.
Kinetic Test Unit (KTU)
To measure uptake rates of gases on solids, a purpose-built Kinetic Test Unit
is used. This was assembled by our industrial sponsor, Air Products and
Chemicals, Inc. The unit relies on dosing a measured quantity of gas onto
a sample and measuring the rate of pressure decay. Comparison with a blank
sample allows deduction of the rate of adsorption.