This invention employs columns and methods to apply external and internal standards and compounds. Analytical standard or compounds are adsorbed to a solid phase extraction media and are stored indefinitely. The standards or compounds remain stable on the solid phase extraction media without decomposing. The standards or compounds may be removed from the solid phase extraction media with a solvent.

A method for separating natural gas liquids (NGLs) from a hydrocarbon gas mixture containing natural gas liquids and methane, comprising the steps of: i) providing a bed of adsorbent selective for NGLs over methane; ii) passing a hydrocarbon gas mixture containing methane and NGL through the bed of adsorbent to at least partially remove NGLs from the gas mixture to produce: (a) NGL-loaded adsorbent and (b) NGL-depleted hydrocarbon gas mixture; iii) recovering the NGL-depleted hydrocarbon gas mixture; iv) regenerating the NGL-loaded adsorbent by at least partially removing NGLs from the adsorbent; and v) sequentially repeating steps (ii) and (iii) using regenerated adsorbent from step (iv).

A capture mass for heavy metals, in particular mercury, contained in a gaseous or liquid feed, said mass comprising: copper which is present at least in part in the sulphide form, Cu.sub.xS.sub.y, a porous support based on alumina; characterized in that said porous support has a total pore volume (TPV) in the range 0.8 to 1.5 cm.sup.3/g, a mesopore volume (V.sub.6 nm-100 nm) in the range 0.5 to 1.3 cm.sup.3/g, and a macropore volume (V.sub.100 nm) in the range 0.33 to 0.45 cm.sup.3/g, it being understood that the ratio between the mesopore volume and the macropore volume (V.sub.6 nm-100 nm/V.sub.100 nm) is in the range 1 to 5.

Synthesis, fabrication, and application of nanocomposite polymers in different form (as membrane/filter coatings, as beads, or as porous sponges) for the removal of microorganisms, heavy metals, organic, and inorganic chemicals from different contaminated water sources.

A composition of matter wherein the composition comprises a siliceous substrate having silanols on the surface and a polymer selected from the group consisting essentially of a water soluble polymer, a water soluble copolymer, an alcohol soluble polymer, an alcohol soluble copolymer, and combinations of such polymers, wherein the polymer is chemically bonded to the siliceous substrate by a silane linking material having the general formula
O.sub.3/2SiQY
that is derived from an alkoxy-functional silane having the general formula
(RO).sub.3SiQX
and processes for preparing the crosslinked polymer that is chemically bonded to the surface of the siliceous substrate.

A solid phase for use in separation has been modified using an aqueous phase adsorption of a headgroup-modified lipid to generate analyte specific surfaces for use as a stationary phase in separations such as high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) or solid phase extraction (SPE). The aliphatic moiety of the lipid adsorbs strongly to a hydrophobic solid surface, with the hydrophilic and active headgroups orienting themselves toward the more polar mobile phase, thus allowing for interactions with the desired solutes. The surface modification approach is generally applicable to a diversity of selective immobilization applications such as protein immobilization clinical diagnostics and preparative scale HPLC as demonstrated on capillary-channeled fibers, though the general methodology could be implemented on any hydrophobic solid support material.

Disclosed are metal organic frameworks (MOFs) for adsorbing guest species, methods for the separation of gases using the MOFs, and systems comprising the MOFs. The MOFs comprise a plurality of secondary building units (SBUs), each SBU comprising a repeating unit of one metal cation connected to another metal cation via a first moiety of an organic linker; a layer of connected adjacent SBUs in which a second moiety of the linker in a first SBU is connected to a metal cation of an adjacent SBU, and wherein adjacent layers are connected to each other via linker-to-linker bonding interactions

Disclosed in certain embodiments are sorbents for capturing heavy hydrocarbons via thermal swing adsorption processes.

A method and apparatus for removing water from compressed air is disclosed. The method includes the steps of passing a stream of compressed air through a pressure swing adsorption (PSA) dryer. The dryer includes at least one vessel containing a desiccant material bound into pieces, for example tubes, using a polymer binder. The PSA dryer also has a control system for controlling the flow of the compressed air and switching between drying and purging modes. In particular the vessel and desiccant material contained therein are sized to produce a dew point suppression of less than 50° C.

Disclosed is an improved process for recovering condensable components from a gas stream, in particular, hydrocarbons from a gas stream such as natural gas. The present process uses solid adsorbent media to remove said hydrocarbons wherein the adsorbent media is regenerated in a continuous fashion in a heated continuous counter-current regeneration system, wherein said heated regenerated adsorbent media is cooled prior to reuse.