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Abstract: The separation of a hydrogen isotope mixture on porous materials was studied using equilibrium and breakthrough experiments. The adsorption equilibria of H2 and D2 on SBA-15 with mesopores and molecular sieves 5A, Y, and 10X with micropores were measured at 77 K using the volumetric method. The breakthrough experiments of a H2 and D2 mixture in each adsorbent bed were carried out at various conditions of flow rate and pressure. The equilibrium ratio of D2 to H2 on mesoporous molecular sieves was larger than the ratio on microporous molecular sieves (SBA-15 > 10X > Y > 5A), but the difference among the adsorbents decreased with increases in pressure. On the other hand, the order of breakthrough separation factor showed the opposite result (SBA-15 < 10X < Y < 5A). The breakthrough separation factors for zeolite 10X was approximately equal to the equilibrium ratio of D2 to H2 at the corresponding partial pressures, whereas zeolites 5A and Y showed higher breakthrough separation factors than their equilibrium ratios. In SBA-15, the separation factors from breakthrough results were even smaller than the corresponding equilibrium ratio. In the microporous adsorbent with a limited pore size (zeolite 5A in the study), the diffusion mechanism contributed to the separation of hydrogen isotope gases as one of key factors. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The equilibrium adsorption amounts of hydrogen isotope gas and the Brunauer−Emmett−Teller (BET) surface area were measured at 77 K with different microporous and mesoporous molecular sieves. The results indicate that good linear relationships are observed between the amount adsorbed and the BET surface area at (0.02, 0.04 0.06, 0.08, 0.10, and 0.12) MPa for microporous or mesoporous adsorbents, which provide proof of the monolayer adsorption mechanism for hydrogen isotopes at supercritical temperatures. Effects of specific surface area and pore size are more important than the surface properties of adsorbents for hydrogen isotope storage with the physical adsorption method. The equilibrium adsorption difference between hydrogen and deuterium is increased with a decrease of pressure. Moreover, the adsorption capacity of hydrogen isotopes on mesoporous molecular sieves is smaller than that on microporous molecular sieves at the same temperature, pressure, and BET surface area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]