Space-filling polyhedral sorbents

• US 9,370,765 B2
• Filed: 10/03/2014
• Issued: 06/21/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 10/03/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Innerproduct Partners Fund, L.P.
• Original Assignee: BlackPak Inc.
• Inventors: Haaland, Peter
• Primary Examiner(s): KILIMAN, LESZEK B
• Application Number:
  US14/506,405
• Publication Number:
  US 20160096164A1
• Time in Patent Office: 627 Days
• Field of Search: 428/402
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2253/102 Carbon
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2253/108 Zeolites
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2253/11 Clays
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2253/112 Metals or metal compounds not provided for in B01D2253/104 or B01D2253/106
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2253/204 Metal organic frameworks (MOF's)
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2253/304 Linear dimensions, e.g. particle shape, diameter
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2253/34 Specific shapes
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2256/16 Hydrogen
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2256/24 Hydrocarbons
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 53/02 by adsorption, e.g. preparative gas chromatography solid sorbent compositions B01J20/00, preparation of inorganic compounds or elements C01
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 20/12 Naturally occurring clays or bleaching earth
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 20/16 Alumino-silicates B01J20/12 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 20/226 Coordination polymers, e.g. metal-organic frameworks [MOF], zeolitic imidazolate frameworks [ZIF] preparation of metal complexes containing carboxylic acid moieties C07C51/418; MOF's per se C07F
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 20/28042 Shaped bodies; Monolithic structures
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 11/005 for hydrogen
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 11/007 for hydrocarbon gases, such as methane or natural gas, propane, butane or mixtures thereof [LPG]
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 13/04 Arrangement or mounting of valves valves per se F16K ; snap-coupling of nipples F16L37/00
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/2982 Particulate matter [e.g., sphere, flake, etc.]

Abstract

Solid sorbents, systems, and methods for pumping, storage, and purification of gases are disclosed. They derive from the dynamics of porous and free convection for specific gas/sorbent combinations and use space filling polyhedral microliths with facial aplanarities to produce sorbent arrays with interpenetrating interstitial manifolds of voids.

Claims

1. An array of space-filling polyhedral-shaped sorbent microliths, wherein at least one of the microliths comprises one or more aplanarities on one or more polygonal faces, wherein the array comprises an interpenetrating, interstitial manifold of free space.

2. The array of claim 1, wherein the sorbent microliths comprise one or more of zeolites, porous glass, porous carbon, metal-organic framework materials, microporous polymers, and clay.

3. The array of claim 1, wherein the sorbent microliths have the shape of a regular polyhedron.

4. The array of claim 1, wherein the sorbent microliths have the shape of an acute golden rhombohedron, a cube, an elongated dodecahedron, an Escher'"'"'s solid, a gyrobifastigium, an obtuse golden rhombohedron, a trigonal prism, a hexagonal prism, a rhombic dodecahedron, a squashed dodecahedron, or a truncated octahedron.

5. The array of claim 1, wherein the sorbent microliths have the shape of an irregular polyhedron.

6. The array of claim 1, wherein the sorbent microliths have the shape of an elongated or squashed hexagonal or trigonal prism, a rectangular parallelopiped, or polyhedra formed by stretching or shearing a regular space-filling polyhedron.

7. The array of claim 1, wherein the aplanarities are convexities.

8. The array of claim 7, wherein the convexities are hemispheres, disks, polyhedral prisms, or spherical caps.

9. The array of claim 1, wherein the aplanarities are concavities.

10. The array of claim 9, wherein the concavities are rectangular, semicircular, or polygonal channels, spherical caps, or inverted dimples.

11. The array of claim 1, wherein the edge lengths of the sorbent microliths ranges from one to one hundred millimeters.

12. A system for storing, pumping, or purifying a gas, comprising:

an array according to claim 1;

a pressure vessel or envelope;

one or more apertures through which gas may enter or exit the vessel; and

one or more valves connected to the apertures.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the diameter of the sorbent microliths is smaller than one aperture.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the gas is hydrogen or a hydrocarbon fuel.

15. The system of claim 12, wherein the gas is a mixture of more than one molecular component that have different sorption properties on the sorbent.

16. The system of claim 12, wherein the gas is a refrigerant characterized by a non-zero enthalpy of adsorption.

17. The system of claim 12, wherein the vessel has an interior template to facilitate self-assembly of the array from the sorbent microliths.

18. A method of manufacturing a system according to 12, the method comprising:

(1) placing sorbent microliths through the aperture of the vessel; and

(2) agitating the vessel to induce self-assembly of the microliths into a close-packed array with an interpenetrating, interstitial manifold of free space.

19. A method of manufacturing a system according to claim 12, the method comprising:

(1) arranging sorbent microliths into a close-packed array with an interpenetrating, interstitial manifold of free space; and

(2) forming the vessel with one or more apertures around said array.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the vessel is fabricated from one or more of metal, injection-molded polymer, or epoxy-fiber composite winding.