ADSORPTION KINETICS: THEORY, APPLICATIONS AND RECENT PROGRESS

Over the past thirty years adsorption separation technology has developed from a relatively minor niche process to a major unit operation, with adsorption processes in widespread use in the petroleum and petrochemical industries and in the production of industrial gases as well as in more traditional applications such as air and water purification. The impact of improved understanding of the interplay between adsorption, micropore diffusion and reaction on the development of zeolite catalyzed processes has been even more dramatic. These developments have been stimulated by a dramatic increase in adsorption research which has led to major discoveries ranging from new microporous adsorbent materials to new theoretical approaches yielding improved understanding of adsorption and diffusion in porous solids. Since a comprehensive review is not possible in a single lecture this review has been restricted to a limited number of areas in which recent research has led to the development of new processes or to new concepts where future commercialization appears probable.