Research on Organic Nanopore Adsorption Mechanism and Influencing Factors of Shale Oil Reservoirs

The adsorption properties of shale oil are of great significance to the development of shale oil resources. This study is aimed at understanding the microscopic adsorption mechanism of shale oil in organic nanopores. Thus, a molecular model of organic micropore walls and multicomponent fluids of CO2, C4H10, C8H18, and C12H26 is constructed to investigate the adsorption pattern of multicomponent fluids in organic nanopores under different temperature and pore size conditions. The quantity and heat of adsorption are simulated with the Monte Carlo method, which has been used in previous studies for single-or two-component fluids. The results demonstrate that the ability of CO2 to displace various alkanes is different. Specifically, medium-chain n-alkanes are slightly weaker than light alkanes in competitive sorption, and long-chain n-alkanes are less conducive to competitive sorption. The higher the CO2 sorption ratio, the more the sorption sites occupied by CO2. Thus, it is the best replacement for shale oil. The adsorption quantity of carbon dioxide, n-butane, and n-octane in organic nanopores first increases and then decreases as temperature rises. Meanwhile, the adsorption quantity of n-dodecane decreases firstly and then increases. With the increase in the pore size, the adsorption quantity of carbon dioxide, n-butane, and n-octane in organic nanopores increases while the adsorption quantity of n-dodecane first increases and then decreases. Besides, the model with larger pore sizes is more sensitive to pressure changes in the adsorption of carbon dioxide and n-butane than the model with smaller pore sizes. The heat of adsorption is CO2, C12H26, C8H18, and C4H10 in descending order. All are physical adsorption. Moreover, the adsorption quantity of all four components mixed fluid in the organic matter nanopores is positively correlated with the heat of adsorption.

Synopsis of Factors Affecting Hydrogen Storage in Biomass-Derived Activated Carbons

Hydrogen (H2) is largely regarded as a potential cost-efficient clean fuel primarily due to its beneficial properties, such as its high energy content and sustainability. With the rising demand for H2 in the past decades and its favorable characteristics as an energy carrier, the escalating USA consumption of pure H2 can be projected to reach 63 million tons by 2050. Despite the tremendous potential of H2 generation and its widespread application, transportation and storage of H2 have remained the major challenges of a sustainable H2 economy. Various efforts have been undertaken by storing H2 in activated carbons, metal organic frameworks (MOFs), covalent organic frameworks (COFs), etc. Recently, the literature has been stressing the need to develop biomass-based activated carbons as an effective H2 storage material, as these are inexpensive adsorbents with tunable chemical, mechanical, and morphological properties. This article reviews the current research trends and perspectives on the role of various properties of biomass-based activated carbons on its H2 uptake capacity. The critical aspects of the governing factors of H2 storage, namely, the surface morphology (specific surface area, pore volume, and pore size distribution), surface functionality (heteroatom and functional groups), physical condition of H2 storage (temperature and pressure), and thermodynamic properties (heat of adsorption and desorption), are discussed. A comprehensive survey of the literature showed that an “ideal” biomass-based activated carbon sorbent with a micropore size typically below 10 Å, micropore volume greater than 1.5 cm3/g, and high surface area of 4000 m2/g or more may help in substantial gravimetric H2 uptake of >10 wt% at cryogenic conditions (−196 °C), as smaller pores benefit by stronger physisorption due to the high heat of adsorption.

Energetic Characterization of Faujasite Zeolites Using a Sensor Gas Calorimeter

In addition to the adsorption mechanism, the heat released during exothermic adsorption influences the chemical reactions that follow during heterogeneous catalysis. Both steps depend on the structure and surface chemistry of the catalyst. An example of a typical catalyst is the faujasite zeolite. For faujasite zeolites, the influence of the Si/Al ratio and the number of Na+ and Ca2+ cations on the heat of adsorption was therefore investigated in a systematic study. A comparison between a NaX (Sodium type X faujasite) and a NaY (Sodium type Y faujasite) zeolite reveals that a higher Si/Al ratio and therefore a smaller number of the cations in faujasite zeolites leads to lower loadings and heats. The exchange of Na+ cations for Ca2+ cations also has an influence on the adsorption process. Loadings and heats first decrease slightly at a low degree of exchange and increase significantly with higher calcium contents. If stronger interactions are required for heterogeneous catalysis, then the CaNaX zeolites must have a degree of exchange above 53%. The energetic contributions show that the highest-quality adsorption sites III and III’ make a contribution to the load-dependent heat of adsorption, which is about 1.4 times (site III) and about 1.8 times (site III’) larger than that of adsorption site II.