Method for producing an adsorption agent for treating compressed gas and an adsorption device provided with such an adsorption agent
A method for manufacturing an adsorption agent for treating compressed gas, which includes the steps of providing a monolithic supporting structure; producing a coating suspension that includes an adsorbent; applying the coating suspension on the supporting structure to form a coating; applying a thermal treatment to the coated supporting structure in order to sinter the coating.
1 . A method for manufacturing an adsorption agent for drying compressed gas, comprising the following steps:
provision of a monolithic supporting structure a wall thickness of between 2 and 11 mil and configured to be placed in a vessel of a compressed air dryer;
production of a coating suspension that comprises a hydrophilic adsorbent;
application of the aforementioned coating suspension on the aforementioned supporting structure to form a coating
application of a thermal treatment to the supporting structure with the coating, in order to sinter the coating,
wherein the hydrophilic adsorbent in the sintered coating is arranged to dry the compressed gas by adsorbing water from the compressed gas.
2 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein one or more of the following materials are selected for the monolithic supporting structure: ceramic material, metal foil and a fiber structure.
3 . The method according to claim 2 , wherein a ceramic structure that contains cordierite is selected for the monolithic supporting structure.
4 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein for the production of the coating suspension one or more of the following materials are selected for the hydrophilic adsorbent: a zeolite, silica gel, activated alumina, activated carbon, metal-organic frameworks, carbon molecular sieve (CMS), an impregnated adsorbent and a hybrid adsorbent.
5 . The method according to claim 4 , wherein the aforementioned hydrophilic adsorbent comprises a hydrophilic zeolite.
6 . The method according to claim 4 , wherein the aforementioned hydrophilic adsorbent comprises faujasite zeolite type X.
7 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the step of producing the aforementioned coating suspension comprises the following sub-steps:
the provision of a solvent;
the addition of the aforementioned hydrophilic adsorbent to the solvent to form a mixture; and
the addition of a binder material to this mixture.
8 . The method according to claim 7 , wherein after the addition of the hydrophilic adsorbent to the solvent and the mixing of the hydrophilic adsorbent with the solvent, the adsorbent particles are reduced in size by wet milling.
9 . The method according to claim 8 , wherein the particle size of the hydrophilic adsorbent is reduced in size until D50 is less than 10 μm.
10 . The method according to claim 7 , wherein one or more of the following inorganic binder materials are selected as a binder material:
colloidal silica;
alumina; and/or
clay.
11 . The method according to claim 7 , wherein one or more of the following organic binder materials are selected as a binder material:
methyl cellulose;
polymers such as acrylic resins, vinyl resins and similar; and/or
a material of the cellulose group.
12 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein application of the aforementioned coating suspension on the aforementioned supporting structure comprises the step of flushing or perfusing the supporting structure with the coating suspension.
13 . The method according to claim 12 , wherein the perfusion of the supporting structure is done from the bottom to top, in the opposite direction to gravity.
14 . The method according to claim 13 , wherein the perfusion is realized by pumping means that either pump the coating suspension upwards through the supporting structure, or suck the coating suspension upwards though the supporting structure.
15 . The method according to claim 12 , wherein the surplus coating material is removed after the perfusion of the supporting structure with the coating suspension.
16 . The method according to claim 15 , wherein a part of the surplus coating material is evacuated from the supporting structure by applying one or more pressure pulses of a purge gas through the cannels of the supporting structure.
17 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the aforementioned heat treatment consists of at least three phases:
increasing the temperature during the first time interval t 1 −t 0 ;
keeping the temperature constantly high at a value above 4000 C during a second time interval t 2 −t 1 ;
decreasing the temperature back to ambient temperature during a third time interval t 3 −t 2 .
18 . The method according to claim 17 , wherein the temperature is kept constant during the aforementioned second time interval t 2 −t 1 .
19 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the step of the production of the coating suspension comprises: the addition of one or more additives.
20 . The method according to claim 14 , wherein the aforementioned additives contain one or more of the following agents:
an additive to affect the acidity (pH value); and
an additive to counteract foam formation.
21 . The method according to claim 20 , wherein the aforementioned additive to affect the acidity consists of hydrogen chloride or ammonia.
22 . The adsorption agent obtained with the method according to claim 1 .
23 . The adsorption agent according to claim 22 , wherein it is a drying agent.
24 . The adsorption device provided with an adsorption agent according to claim 22 .
25 . A method for manufacturing an adsorption agent comprising the following steps:
producing a coating suspension that comprises an adsorbent, wherein the adsorbent comprises a hydrophilic zeolite;
applying the coating suspension to a monolithic supporting structure to form a coating, said monolithic supporting structure having a wall thickness of between 2 and 11 mil and configured to be placed in a vessel of a compressed air dryer;
sintering the coating by a thermal treatment; and
wherein said applying comprises perfusing the supporting structure with the coating suspension, said perfusing is done in the opposite direction to gravity, and said perfusing is realized by a pump that pumps the coating suspension upwards through the supporting structure,
wherein the hydrophilic adsorbent in the sintered coating adsorb water in, and therefore dry, a compressed gas;
and further comprising
removing a portion of the coating material after the perfusing, wherein the removing is realized by reversing the operation direction of the pump.
26 . The method according to claim 9 , wherein the particle size of the hydrophilic adsorbent is reduced in size until D50 is less than 4 μm.