The invention relates to the use of a high performance thermoplastic polymer binder material for immobilizing adsorptive materials, such as activated carbon, in gas storage devices. The use of these binders, especially polyamide binders or polyvinylidene fluoride such as Kyblock? resin, provides for high adsorbent packing density, low fouling solid structure that maximizes the volume of gas to the volume of the storage space.

The disclosure relates to a method for removing sulfur-containing compounds from a fluid. The method involves adding manganese oxide to the fluid; doping the manganese oxide in situ with iron, cobalt, or combinations thereof to give a doped manganese oxide adsorbent; and contacting the fluid with a selected amount of the doped manganese oxide adsorbent and at a selected temperature and pressure sufficient for the doped manganese oxide adsorbent to preferentially adsorb the sulfur-containing compounds in the fluid. The disclosure also relates to a process for preparing a doped manganese oxide adsorbent, and a doped manganese oxide adsorbent prepared by the process. The disclosure further relates to a method for tuning structural properties (e.g., surface area, pore size and pore volume) of a doped manganese oxide adsorbent.

Air filters formed from mats of protein-containing nanowires are provided. The nanowires are formed into a mat with pores that allow air to pass through while physically filtering particulate matter. The protein in the protein-containing nanowires 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 nanofiber mat performs two filtering functions. Methods of filtering air using the provided air filters are also disclosed, as well as methods for making the air filters from protein-containing nanofibers.

An adsorbent system includes a passage and first and second adsorbents arranged in series in the passage. The first adsorbent includes granules of non-impregnated charcoal and the second adsorbent includes granules of acid- or metal salt-impregnated adsorbent. The granules of acid- or metal salt-impregnated adsorbent have, by weight, at least 20% acid or metal salt content.

A sorbent composition for removing mercury from flue gas, including a powdered sorbent having a fifty percent distribution particle size of from about 20 micrometers to about 75 micrometers. The invention also include a method of cleaning flue gas, the method including injecting a powdered sorbent into the flue gas, wherein the powdered sorbent has a fifty percent distribution particle size of from about 20 micrometers to about 75 micrometers.

An adsorber for utilization in purification systems for cryogenic fluid processing can include a first layer of adsorbent material and a second layer of adsorbent material within a bed of adsorbent material within the adsorber. The first layer can include alumina or other water removal adsorbent material while the second layer can include NaMSX or other suitable molecular sieve adsorbent material. The first layer can be sized to be substantially smaller than the second layer to facilitate a pre-selected ratio of water adsorption to molecular sieve adsorption so that water can break through the first layer to the second layer during purification operations while the volume of the adsorber can be provided in a much smaller size with much less adsorbent material utilized in the bed as compared to conventional designs. Embodiments can provide an increased purification operational capacity with reduced need for adsorbent material.

A filter is includes a housing and at least first and second adsorbent materials within the housing. The second adsorbent material has different characteristic from the first adsorbent material and is in series with the first adsorbent material. When assembled, a labyrinth arrangement is located between a first port in the housing and the first adsorbent material such that gas travels between the first port and the first adsorbent material by passing through the labyrinth arrangement. A filtration system and methods for humidity control of a liquid tank head space uses a filter, including first and second adsorbent and a diffusion channel or labyrinth arrangement.

A process for making a modified, mesoporous activated carbon material from waste oil fly ash. The process involves a physicochemical treatment of a raw waste oil fly ash sample, where the sample is initially refluxed in an acid solution, then activated at about 1000 C. and in the presence of carbon dioxide. The activated carbon may be further functionalized with carboxylic and/or amine groups by refluxing the activated carbon in a second acid solution and/or an ammonia solution. The activated carbon, as prepared, has a BET surface area of 30-400 m.sup.2/g, a total pore volume of 0.25-0.50 cm.sup.3/g and an average pore size of 40-100 . A method for removing hydrogen sulfide from natural gas with the modified activated carbon is also provided.

A gas separation unit for the separation of carbon dioxide from air is proposed for use in a cyclic adsorption/desorption process and using a loose particulate sorbent material. Sorbent material is arranged in at least two stacked layers, and each layer comprises two sheets of a flexible fabric material which is gas permeable but impermeable to the loose sorbent material. The sheets are arranged parallel defining an inlet face and an outlet face, are arranged with a distance in the range of 0.5-2.5 cm, and are enclosing a cavity in which the sorbent material is located. Said layers are arranged in the unit such that the inflow passes through the inlet face, subsequently through the particular sorbent material located in the cavity of the respective layer, subsequently to exit the layer through the outlet face to form the gas outflow.

A process for making a modified, mesoporous activated carbon material from waste oil fly ash. The process involves a physicochemical treatment of a raw waste oil fly ash sample, where the sample is initially refluxed in an acid solution, then activated at about 1000 C. and in the presence of carbon dioxide. The activated carbon may be further functionalized with carboxylic and/or amine groups by refluxing the activated carbon in a second acid solution and/or an ammonia solution. The activated carbon, as prepared, has a BET surface area of 30-400 m.sup.2/g, a total pore volume of 0.25-0.50 cm.sup.3/g and an average pore size of 40-100 . A method for removing hydrogen sulfide from natural gas with the modified activated carbon is also provided.