Abstract: Contaminant is removed from a gaseous stream, especially an air stream bearing the contaminant, by adsorption on a sorbent which is a resiliently compressible, electrically conductive, activated carbon cloth material, leaving a gaseous stream liberated of the contaminant; the carbon cloth material loaded with the contaminant may be regenerated by desorption of the contaminant; the carbon cloth material loaded with contaminant is housed in a vacuum and electric current is passed through the carbon cloth material generating heat in the cloth material which is effective to desorb the contaminant which is exhausted under vacuum; the level of heat generated is varied as required, typically to develop a temperature of 250 to 500° C. in the cloth material, by varying the compression of the cloth material; desorption is typically achieved in about 30 minutes at a vacuum of 10 Torr or less.

Abstract: The present invention relates processes for the preparation of activated carbon materials; the present invention also relates activated carbon materials and in particular to materials comprising activated carbon fibers such as for example fabric or fabric like materials of activated carbon fibers. These materials may be used as adsorbents to take up predetermined components from a fluid (e.g. undesirable organic compounds from air).

Abstract: Contaminant is removed from a gaseous stream, especially an air stream bearing the contaminant, by adsorption on a sorbent which is a resiliently compressible, electrically conductive, activated carbon cloth material, leaving a gaseous stream liberated of the contaminant; the carbon cloth material loaded with the contaminant may be regenerated by desorption of the contaminant; the carbon cloth material loaded with contaminant is housed in a vacuum and electric current is passed through the carbon cloth material generating heat in the cloth material which is effective to desorb the contaminant which is exhausted under vacuum; the level of heat generated is varied as required, typically to develop a temperature of 250 to 500° C. in the cloth material, by varying the compression of the cloth material; desorption is typically achieved in about 30 minutes at a vacuum of 10 Torr or less.

Abstract: A device and method for generating heat employs a heating element which is resiliently compressible or in which the electrical resistance can otherwise be varied, for a given electric current, to vary the level of heat generated. In a specific embodiment the device employs a plurality of layers of electrically conductive cloth material, for example, carbon cloth, disposed between electrodes; adjustment of the spacing between the electrodes alters the degree of compression and the electrical resistance of the plurality of layers whereby the level of heat generated for a given electric current can be varied.

Abstract: A capillary sampling flow controller provides an improvement in the process of sampling or monitoring for the analysis of air and gas chemistries; a constant flow rate is used to introduce a specific volume of gas into a vessel or through a trapping media over the selected sampling period. The improvement employs calculated geometry of the capillaries employed to deliver the gas sample to the evacuated vessel. It can also include a pressure reading device installed between the vessel and the capillary, and a filter at the inlet. The length of capillary with available internal diameters is estimated mathematically and confirmed experimentally to achieve any sampling time using any size sampler. The flow rate obtained from the controller is constant over its operating range and is designed to meet a specific sampling duration to obtain long-term integrated samples. The sampling process becomes completely passive, precise, reliable and simple to operate.