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ORNL has developed a monolithic adsorbent that is described as a “carbon fiber composite molecular sieve” (CFCMS). It is a rigid, permeable carbon structure that exhibits high surface area, large pore volume, and significant electrical conductivity. The unique combination of high adsorptive capacity, permeability, good mechanical properties, and electrical conductivity represents an enabling technology for the development of a novel system for scrubbing carbon dioxide from a diverse range of gas streams. By coupling the CFCMS technology with an electrical swing adsorption (ESA) technique, the CFCMS adsorbent is readily regenerated through resistive heating. Through simultaneous operation of two or more CFCMS/ESA units, cycling between adsorption and regeneration, CO2-free gas streams can be continuously produced. Key advantages of this technology over other gas separation methods based on adsorption phenomena, such as pressure swing adsorption (PSA), include regeneration of the monolithic adsorbent through passage of an electrical current, which affords rapid cycling of a relatively small gas separation system with reduced energy consumption.
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