Abstract
The separation of methane from higher hydrocarbons (C2–C3) in natural gas processing is a crucial and energy-intensive operation. This work presents a comprehensive study on the separation of propane and ethane from methane using cobalt-based metal-organic frameworks (FNU-2), which exhibit exceptional stability and selectivity and preferential adsorption towards C2–C3 hydrocarbons. The selectivity values of C2H6/CH4 and C3H8/CH4 calculated by IAST are 43.9 and 638.9, respectively. According to theoretical calculations, the Van der Waals interactions of guest molecules play crucial roles in influencing the separation performance. Moreover, dynamic breakthrough experiments have revealed the promising potential of this adsorbent in industrial separations. These experiments indicate that the adsorbent is highly suitable for effectively separating and purifying natural gas. This study overall presents a novel and efficient adsorbent that can be employed to separate and purify natural gas in various industrial applications.
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