ABSTRACT
Separation and purification of gas mixtures by selective adsorption of one or more of its components on a micro-or mesoporous solid adsorbent is a major unit operation in the chemical, petrochemical, environmental, medical, and electronic gas industries. Figure 1 demonstrates the phenomenal growth in this technology (1). It shows that the total number of U.S. patents granted between the years of 1980 and 2000 on “gas separation by adsorption” and “adsorption for air pollution control” are more than 3000 and 1000, respectively. The figure also shows that the patent estate in these areas is growing rapidly.
