This disclosure relates to the adsorption and separation of fluid components, such as oxygen, in a feed stream, such as air, using zeolite ITQ-55 as the adsorbent. A process is disclosed for adsorbing oxygen from a feed stream containing oxygen, nitrogen and argon. The process comprises passing the feed stream through a bed of an adsorbent comprising zeolite ITQ-55 to adsorb oxygen from the feed stream, carrying out an equalization step to improve recovery, thereby producing a nitrogen product stream depleted in oxygen as well as a waste stream can be collected to have enriched oxygen. The kinetic selectivity and related mass transfer rates can be tuned by varying the mean crystal particle size of zeolite ITQ-55 within the range of from about 0.1 microns to about 40 microns, or by varying the adsorption temperature within the range from about -195° C. to about 30° C., or by varying the adsorption pressure within the range from about 1 bar (~14.7 psi) to about 30 bar (~435 psi), or combinations thereof. The feed stream is exposed to the zeolite ITQ-55 at effective conditions for performing a rapid cycle of kinetic separation, in which oxygen exhibits greater kinetic selectivity than nitrogen and argon.

A method for removing sulfur-based gases from a gas stream comprises contacting a sulfur containing gas stream under dynamic flow conditions with granular activated carbon (GAC) to adsorb substantially all sulfur-containing gas from the gas stream. The granular activated carbon (GAC) can be derived from date palm pits.

A method for the production of synthetic quartz glass using a special cleaning device is provided. The method includes (a) evaporating a production material containing a polymerizable polyalkylsiloxane compound while forming a production material vapor, (b) passing the production material vapor resulting from step (a) through a cleaning device to purify the production material vapor, (c) supplying the purified production material vapor resulting from step (b) to a reaction zone in which the purified production material vapor is converted to SiO.sub.2 particles through oxidation and/or through hydrolysis, (d) depositing the SiO.sub.2 particles resulting from step (c) on a deposition surface, and optionally drying and vitrifying the deposited SiO.sub.2 particles resulting from step (d) to form synthetic quartz glass. The cleaning device includes a bulk of porous silica particles which have a BET specific surface area of at least 2 m.sup.2/g. A device for carrying out the method is also provided.

A system for capturing CO.sub.2 gas comprising: a gaseous feed stream having an initial concentration of the CO.sub.2 gas; wherein the gaseous feed stream is provided to a first reactor as a gaseous reaction stream; the first reactor comprising a sorbent composition and the gaseous reaction stream flowing therein, the gaseous reaction stream being in contact with the sorbent composition; and a first gaseous output stream having a concentration of CO.sub.2 being less than the initial concentration of CO.sub.2; wherein: the gaseous reaction stream comprises the CO.sub.2 gas and is characterized by a relative humidity of at least 5%; the sorbent composition comprises a metal carbonate material that reacts with the CO.sub.2 gas of the gaseous reaction stream thereby reducing CO.sub.2 gas concentration; and the first reactor comprises 35 wt. % or less of liquid water by weight of sorbent and liquid water.

Dry processes, apparatus, compositions and systems are provided for reducing emissions of sulfur oxides, and sulfur dioxide in particular, and/or HCl and/or Hg in a process employing a combination of a lime-based sorbent, in particular hydrated lime and/or dolomitic hydrated lime, and a sorbent doping agent administered to achieve coverage of a three-dimensional cross section of a passage carrying SO.sub.x and/or HCl and/or Hg-containing gases with a short but effective residence time at a temperature effective to provide significant sulfur dioxide and/or HCl and/or Hg reductions with high rates of reaction and sorbent utilization. The once-through, dry process can advantageously introduce the sorbent and sorbent doping agent dry or preferably as a slurry to enable uniform treatment. Preferred sorbent doping agents include water-soluble or water-dispersible copper and/or iron compositions which can be heated to an active form in situ by the flue gases being treated.

Provided is a method for manufacturing a mesoporous inorganic oxide, which includes preparing a mixture of a metal salt selected from the group consisting of at least one kind of alkali metal-containing compound, at least one kind of alkaline earth metal-containing compound, and any combination thereof and an amorphous inorganic oxide; sintering the mixture of a metal salt and an amorphous inorganic oxide; and removing the metal salt contained in the sintered mixture, and a mesoporous inorganic oxide that is manufactured by the above method and is composed of an aggregate of inorganic oxide particles having a size of from 2 nm to 5 nm.

According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a method for manufacturing a mesoporous inorganic oxide which has a simplified manufacturing process, has a short period of manufacturing time of about 1 day, does not generate secondary environmental contaminants to be environmentally friendly, and enables mass production, and a mesoporous inorganic oxide which has a dramatically decreased particle size and thus has an increased specific surface area and increased active sites.

A granular sorption material including a plurality of porous granules formed by buildup agglomeration for separation, especially absorption, of harmful gases, especially of SO.sub.X and/or HCl, from offgases of thermal processes. The granules containing greater than 80% by weight, and preferably greater than 95% by weight, of Ca(OH).sub.2 and/or CaCO.sub.3 based on the dry mass. The granules having a dry apparent density ρ, determined by means of an apparent density pycnometer, of 0.5 to 1.2 kg/dm.sup.3, preferably 0.7 to 1.1 kg/dm.sup.3, and/or a porosity of 45% to 73% by volume, preferably 55% to 65% by volume, and have especially been increased in porosity. A process for producing the granular sorption material, in which pores are introduced into the granules by means of a porosity agent during the production.

Materials and methods for mitigating the effects of halide species contained in process streams are provided. A halide-containing process stream can be contacted with mitigation materials comprising active metal oxides and a non-acidic high surface area carrier combined with a solid, porous substrate. The halide species in the process stream can be reacted with the mitigation material to produce neutralized halide salts and a process stream that is essentially halide-free. The neutralized salts can be attracted and retained on the solid, porous substrate.

A process for producing an adsorbent comprising activated carbon, wherein the process comprises a molding step of molding an adsorbent through a plurality of stages, and wherein the molding step comprises molding in a final stage performed by tableting.

Disclosed is an activated carbon including pores formed on a surface thereof, in particular, the pores include ultra-micropores having a diameter that is equal to or less than about 1.0 nm.