Separating Hydrocarbon Mixtures by Driving the Components in Opposite Directions: High Degree of Separation Factor and Energy Efficiency

Shubhadeep Nag, G. Ananthakrishna, Prabal K. Maiti, and Subramanian Yashonath
Phys. Rev. Lett. 124, 255901 – Published 25 June 2020
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Abstract

A radically different approach for separation of molecular mixtures is proposed. A judicious combination of levitation effect observed in zeolites with a counter intuitive Landauer blow torch effect provides driving forces for the two components of the mixture to move in opposite directions. Using nonequilibrium Monte Carlo simulations, we illustrate the efficacy of the method for separating real mixtures of both linear n-pentane and its branched isomer, neopentane, and linear n-hexane and its branched isomer, 2,2-dimethylbutane. The method yields several orders of magnitude improvement in separation factor and relative energy efficiency by using submicron zeolite column. The extremely high purity of the resulting single components makes the method best suited for green chemistry.

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  • Received 24 August 2019
  • Revised 23 November 2019
  • Accepted 28 May 2020

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.124.255901

© 2020 American Physical Society

Physics Subject Headings (PhySH)

Condensed Matter, Materials & Applied Physics

Authors & Affiliations

Shubhadeep Nag1, G. Ananthakrishna2, Prabal K. Maiti3, and Subramanian Yashonath1

  • 1Solid State and Structural Chemistry Unit, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore 560 012, India
  • 2Materials Research Center, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore 560 012, India
  • 3Department of Physics, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore 560 012, India

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Issue

Vol. 124, Iss. 25 — 26 June 2020

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