A carbon dioxide separation recovery method includes: bringing a particulate carbon dioxide adsorbent and a treatment target gas containing carbon dioxide into contact with each other to make the carbon dioxide adsorbent adsorb the carbon dioxide contained in the treatment target gas; and bringing the carbon dioxide adsorbent which has adsorbed the carbon dioxide and superheated steam into contact with each other to desorb the carbon dioxide from the carbon dioxide adsorbent and thereby regenerate the carbon dioxide adsorbent, and recovering the desorbed carbon dioxide. A saturation temperature of the superheated steam which is brought into contact with the carbon dioxide adsorbent is not more than a temperature of the carbon dioxide adsorbent which contacts the superheated steam. The regenerated carbon dioxide adsorbent is utilized for adsorption of the carbon dioxide again without being subjected to a drying step.

An aminated siliceous adsorbent, which is the reaction product of dried acidified rice husk ash having disordered mesopores and an amino silane, wherein amine functional groups are present on an external surface and within the mesopores of the dried acidified rice husk ash, and wherein the aminated siliceous adsorbent has a carbon content of 24 to 30 wt. %, based on a total weight of the aminated siliceous adsorbent. A method of making the aminated siliceous adsorbent and a method of capturing CO.sub.2 from a gas mixture with the aminated siliceous adsorbent.

The present invention concerns an adsorbent porous sol-gel material comprising at least -silane oxides; —an inorganic and/or organic acid with a boiling temperature higher than 100° C.; —a molecular probe of general formula (I) or one of the salts of same in which R.sub.1, R.sub.2, R.sub.3, R.sub.4, R.sub.5, R.sub.6 separately represent a hydrogen atom, a (C1-C6) alkyl group, a (C3-C7) cycloalkyl group, an alkyl-(C3-C7) cycloalkyl group; in which Z represents a spacer group chosen from a (C1-C16) alkyl group, a (C2-C16) alkenyl group, a (C2-C16) alkynyl group, a (C1-C16) halogenoalkyl group, an aryl group, an aryloxy group, a carbocycle group, or an aryl-(C1-C16) alkyl group.

Disclosed are methods of separating solute from solvent using a photoactive extractant. The photoactive extractant can be switched between two states by exposure to light. This can change the affinity of the photoactive extractant for either the solute or the solvent, causing absorption of the solute or solvent. The photoactive extractant can then be separated from the fluid stream containing the solute or solvent. The absorbed solute or solvent is then separated from the photoactive extractant. The photoactive extractant is a photoisomer. Applications for these methods include desalination, water purification, and metal extraction.

Stabilized air filters formed from mats of crosslinked protein-containing fibers are provided. The fibers are formed into a mat with pores that allow air to pass through while physically filtering particulate matter. The protein in the protein-containing fibers also serves to chemically filter polluted air passed through the filter. Specifically, chemical functional groups from the many amino acids that comprise the protein of the protein-containing nanowire react with certain chemical pollutants (e.g., carbon monoxide and formaldehyde) in order to capture or otherwise neutralize the pollutant. Accordingly, the single fiber mat performs two filtering functions. Methods for making the air filters from crosslinked protein-containing nanofibers are also provided.

A process is provided for making a polymer comprising providing a mixture of at least one furandicarboxylic acid, at least one diol, and at least one C2-C3 dicarboxlic acid, ester derivatives of C2-C3 dicarboxylic acid, hydroxy fatty acid or ester derivative of a hydroxy fatty acid; adding a catalyst and processing said mixture at reaction conditions until a polymer product is produced. The polymer consists of random units based upon the starting materials that are used.

A carbon dioxide separation recovery method includes: bringing a particulate carbon dioxide adsorbent and a treatment target gas containing carbon dioxide into contact with each other to make the carbon dioxide adsorbent adsorb the carbon dioxide contained in the treatment target gas; and bringing the carbon dioxide adsorbent which has adsorbed the carbon dioxide and desorption steam into contact with each other to desorb the carbon dioxide from the carbon dioxide adsorbent, and thereby, regenerate the carbon dioxide adsorbent and recover the desorbed carbon dioxide. The step of recovering the carbon dioxide includes utilizing a recovery gas as a heat source of a heat exchanger, the recovery gas containing the desorption steam which has contacted the carbon dioxide adsorbent and the carbon dioxide which has been desorbed from the carbon dioxide adsorbent.

Embodiments of the present disclosure include methods and systems of circulating air in an enclosed environment. In such embodiments, the system may comprise an air handling unit (AHU), the AHU including an indoor air inlet to receive an indoor airflow from the enclosed environment and an indoor air outlet to expel the indoor airflow, a conditioning element arranged between the inlet and the outlet configured to at least heat or cool the indoor airflow as it flows thereover, one or more fan units arranged between the inlet and the outlet configured to provide velocity to the indoor airflow, and an air treatment assembly (ATA) arranged within or proximate the AHD, the ATA including an air inlet configured to receive a portion of the indoor airflow received by the AHU indoor air inlet.

Disclosed in certain embodiments are carbon dioxide sorbents that include porous particles impregnated with an amine compound.

A method of capturing water from a gaseous composition comprising water vapour (suitably air), the method comprising: (a) providing a metal-organic material; and (b) contacting themetal-organic material with water and/or water vapour; wherein upon contact with water and/or water vapour the material switches from a first state to a second state wherein the second state is able to retain a higher amount of water than the first state.