Decomposition of dimethyl carbonate caused by adsorption onto activated carbon

This contribution addresses the adsorptive cleaning of an exhaust gas released from a Lithium–Ion-battery recycling process. Adsorption in fixed beds is frequently used to clean off gases containing solvents, toxic components, or other contaminates. Well-established short-cut models are available to determine capacity and dynamics of such adsorber beds. However, uncertainties arise if the gas contains unknown trace components or if new components appear due to chemical reaction or decomposition processes. In the present study, the off gas mainly consists of dimethyl carbonate in a nitrogen gas stream. Dimethyl carbonate decomposes when contacted with activated carbon. The decomposition product methanol co-adsorbs together with dimethyl carbonate onto activated carbon and therefore decreases the adsorption capacity for DMC. This paper shows the influences of temperature, residence time, carbon mass and water on the decomposition of dimethyl carbonate. Additionally, first results of fixed-bed experiments including temperature profile and breakthrough curve are discussed to show the effect of decomposition occurring in fixed-bed adsorption.