Abstract: A process for separating hydrogen from a gas mixture having hydrogen and a larger gas molecule is comprised of flowing the gas mixture through a carbonized polyvinylidene chloride (PVDC) copolymer membrane having a hydrogen permeance in combination with a hydrogen/methane selectivity, wherein the combination of hydrogen permeance and hydrogen/methane selectivity is (i) at least 30 GPU hydrogen permeance and at least 200 hydrogen/methane selectivity or (ii) at least 10 GPU hydrogen permeance and at least 700 hydrogen/methane selectivity. The carbonized PVDC copolymer may be made by heating and restraining a polyvinylidene chloride copolymer film or hollow fiber having a thickness of 1 micrometer to 250 micrometers to a pretreatment temperature of 100° C. to 180° C. to form a pretreated polyvinylidene chloride copolymer film and then heating and restraining the pretreated polyvinylidene chloride copolymer film to a maximum pyrolysis temperature from 350° C. to 750° C.

Abstract: A process for separating hydrogen from a gas mixture having hydrogen and a larger gas molecule is comprised of flowing the gas mixture through a carbonized polyvinylidene chloride (PVDC) copolymer membrane having a hydrogen permeance in combination with a hydrogen/methane selectivity, wherein the combination of hydrogen permeance and hydrogen/methane selectivity is (i) at least 30 GPU hydrogen permeance and at least 200 hydrogen/methane selectivity or (ii) at least 10 GPU hydrogen permeance and at least 700 hydrogen/methane selectivity. The carbonized PVDC copolymer may be made by heating and restraining a polyvinylidene chloride copolymer film or hollow fiber having a thickness of 1 micrometer to 250 micrometers to a pretreatment temperature of 100° C. to 180° C. to form a pretreated polyvinylidene chloride copolymer film and then heating and restraining the pretreated polyvinylidene chloride copolymer film to a maximum pyrolysis temperature from 350° C. to 750° C.

Abstract: A process for separating hydrogen from a gas mixture having hydrogen and a larger gas molecule is comprised of flowing the gas mixture through a carbonized polyvinylidene chloride (PVDC) copolymer membrane having a hydrogen permeance in combination with a hydrogen/methane selectivity, wherein the combination of hydrogen permeance and hydrogen/methane selectivity is (i) at least 30 GPU hydrogen permeance and at least 200 hydrogen/methane selectivity or (ii) at least 10 GPU hydrogen permeance and at least 700 hydrogen/methane selectivity. The carbonized PVDC copolymer may be made by heating and restraining a polyvinylidene chloride copolymer film or hollow fiber having a thickness of 1 micrometer to 250 micrometers to a pretreatment temperature of 100° C. to 180° C. to form a pretreated polyvinylidene chloride copolymer film and then heating and restraining the pretreated polyvinylidene chloride copolymer film to a maximum pyrolysis temperature from 350° C. to 750° C.

Abstract: A method for separating N2 from a hydrocarbon gas mixture containing N2 comprising the steps of: i) providing a bed of adsorbent selective for N2; (ii) passing the hydrocarbon gas mixture through the bed of adsorbent to at least partially remove N2 from the gas mixture to produce: (a) N2-loaded adsorbent and (b) N2-depleted hydrocarbon gas mixture; iii) recovering the N2-depleted hydrocarbon gas mixture; iv) regenerating the N2-loaded adsorbent by at least partially removing N2 from the adsorbent; and v) sequentially repeating steps (ii) and (iii) using regenerated adsorbent from step (iv); wherein the adsorbent comprises a pyrolized sulfonated macroporous ion exchange resin.

Abstract: A process to prepare a carbon molecular sieve adsorbent composition comprises steps beginning with an activated carbon having specific effective micropore size. The activated carbon is impregnated with monomers or partially polymerized polymer, allowed to complete polymerization, and then carbonized such that the impregnant shrinks the micropores to another specific effective micropore size. Finally, the impregnated/polymerized/carbonized product is annealed at a temperature ranging from 1000° C. to 1500° C., which ultimately and predictably shrinks the micropores to a size ranging from 4.0 Angstroms to 4.3 Angstroms. The invention surprisingly enables fine tuning of the effective micropore size, as well as desirable selectivity, capacity and adsorption rates, to obtain highly desirable carbon molecular sieving capability particularly suited for use in, for example, fixed beds in pressure swing or temperature swing processes to enable propylene/propane separations.

Abstract: Novel carbon molecular sieve (CMS) compositions comprising carbonized vinylidene chloride copolymer having micropores with an average micropore size ranging from 3.0 to 5.0. These materials offer capability in separations of gas mixtures including, for example, propane/propylene; nitrogen/methane; and ethane/ethylene. Such may be prepared by a process wherein vinylidene chloride copolymer beads, melt extruded film or fiber are pretreated to form a precursor that is finally carbonized at high temperature. Preselection or knowledge of precursor crystallinity and attained maximum pyrolysis temperature enables preselection or knowledge of a average micropore size, according to the equation ?=6.09+(0.0275×C)?(0.00233×T), wherein ? is the average micropore size in Angstroms, C is the crystallinity percentage and T is the attained maximum pyrolysis temperature in degrees Celsius, provided that crystallinity percentage ranges from 25 to 75 and temperature in degrees Celsius ranges from 800 to 1700.

Abstract: A process for separating hydrogen from a gas mixture having hydrogen and a larger gas molecule is comprised of flowing the gas mixture through a carbonized polyvinylidene chloride (PVDC) copolymer membrane having a hydrogen permeance in combination with a hydrogen/methane selectivity, wherein the combination of hydrogen permeance and hydrogen/methane selectivity is (i) at least 30 GPU hydrogen permeance and at least 200 hydrogen/methane selectivity or (ii) at least 10 GPU hydrogen permeance and at least 700 hydrogen/methane selectivity. The carbonized PVDC copolymer may be made by heating and restraining a polyvinylidene chloride copolymer film or hollow fiber having a thickness of 1 micrometer to 250 micrometers to a pretreatment temperature of 100° C. to 180° C. to form a pretreated polyvinylidene chloride copolymer film and then heating and restraining the pretreated polyvinylidene chloride copolymer film to a maximum pyrolysis temperature from 350° C. to 750° C.

Abstract: A process to prepare a carbon molecular sieve adsorbent composition comprises steps beginning with an activated carbon having specific effective micropore size. The activated carbon is impregnated with monomers or partially polymerized polymer, allowed to complete polymerization, and then carbonized such that the impregnant shrinks the micropores to another specific effective micropore size. Finally, the impregnated/polymerized/carbonized product is annealed at a temperature ranging from 1000° C. to 1500° C., which ultimately and predictably shrinks the micropores to a size ranging from 4.0 Angstroms to 4.3 Angstroms. The invention surprisingly enables fine tuning of the effective micropore size, as well as desirable selectivity, capacity and adsorption rates, to obtain highly desirable carbon molecular sieving capability particularly suited for use in, for example, fixed beds in pressure swing or temperature swing processes to enable propylene/propane separations.

Abstract: A method for separating N2 from a hydrocarbon gas mixture containing N2 comprising the steps of: i) providing a bed of adsorbent selective for N2; (ii) passing the hydrocarbon gas mixture through the bed of adsorbent to at least partially remove N2 from the gas mixture to produce: (a) N2-loaded adsorbent and (b) N2-depleted hydrocarbon gas mixture; iii) recovering the N2-depleted hydrocarbon gas mixture; iv) regenerating the N2-loaded adsorbent by at least partially removing N2 from the adsorbent; and v) sequentially repeating steps (ii) and (iii) using regenerated adsorbent from step (iv); wherein the adsorbent comprises a pyrolized sulfonated macroporous ion exchange resin.

Abstract: Novel carbon molecular sieve (CMS) compositions comprising carbonized vinylidene chloride copolymer having micropores with an average micropore size ranging from 3.0 to 5.0. These materials offer capability in separations of gas mixtures including, for example, propane/propylene; nitrogen/methane; and ethane/ethylene. Such may be prepared by a process wherein vinylidene chloride copolymer beads, melt extruded film or fiber are pretreated to form a precursor that is finally carbonized at high temperature. Preselection or knowledge of precursor crystallinity and attained maximum pyrolysis temperature enables preselection or knowledge of a average micropore size, according to the equation ?=6.09+(0.0275×C)?(0.00233×T), wherein ? is the average micropore size in Angstroms, C is the crystallinity percentage and T is the attained maximum pyrolysis temperature in degrees Celsius, provided that crystallinity percentage ranges from 25 to 75 and temperature in degrees Celsius ranges from 800 to 1700.

Abstract: The present invention provides a two component geopolymer composition of wherein one component comprises a dry mix of an aluminosilicate, such as flyash, geopolymer precursor and one or more epoxy multilayer polymer particle redispersible polymer powder (RDP) having an epoxy resin core and an alkali soluble polymer shell, the epoxy resin having a calculated glass transition temperature (Tg) of from 7 to 45° C., and, wherein the other component, comprises one or more alkaline silicate geopolymer precursor, preferably in the form of an aqueous solution. The two-component compositions having from 1 to 20 wt. % of the RDP, based on solids, and provide greater formulation flexibility to make geopolymer compositions having improved tensile strength.

Abstract: Porous composites of mullite and cordierite are formed by firing an acicular mullite body in the presence of a magnesium source and a silicon source. In some variations of the process, the magnesium and silicon sources are present when the acicular mullite body is formed. In other variations, the magnesium source and the silicon source are applied to a previously-formed acicular mullite body. Surprisingly, the composites have coefficients of linear thermal expansion that are intermediate to those of mullite and cordierite alone, and have higher fracture strengths than cordierite at a similar porosity. Some of the cordierite forms at grain boundaries and/or points of intersection between mullite needles, rather than merely coating the needles. The presence of magnesium and silicon sources during acicular mullite formation does not significantly affect the ability to produce a highly porous network of mullite needles.

Abstract: Fire resistant composite structures. As an example, a fire resistant composite structure can have a foam material, a geopolymer thermal protection layer adhered to the foam material, and a facing adhered to the geopolymer layer. The geopolymer thermal protection layer can be formed by curing geopolymer precursors having a silicon to aluminum ratio in a range of 1.0:0.1 to 1.0:3.3.

Abstract: The present invention provides a two component geopolymer composition of wherein one component comprises a dry mix of an aluminosilicate, such as flyash, geopolymer precursor and one or more epoxy multilayer polymer particle redispersible polymer powder (RDP) having an epoxy resin core and an alkali soluble polymer shell, the epoxy resin having a calculated glass transition temperature (Tg) of from 7 to 45° C., and, wherein the other component, comprises one or more alkaline silicate geopolymer precursor, preferably in the form of an aqueous solution. The two-component compositions having from 1 to 20 wt. % of the RDP, based on solids, and provide greater formulation flexibility to make geopolymer compositions having improved tensile strength.

Abstract: Geopolymer precursor-aerogel compositions. As an example, a geopolymer precursor-aerogel composition can include an aluminosilicate reactant, an alkaline activator, an aerogel additive, and a continuous medium.

Abstract: Porous composites of mullite and cordierite are formed by firing an acicular mullite body in the presence of a magnesium source and a silicon source. In some variations of the process, the magnesium and silicon sources are present when the acicular mullite body is formed. In other variations, the magnesium source and the silicon source are applied to a previously-formed acicular mullite body. Surprisingly, the composites have coefficients of linear thermal expansion that are intermediate to those of mullite and cordierite alone, and have higher fracture strengths than cordierite at a similar porosity. Some of the cordierite forms at grain boundaries and/or points of intersection between mullite needles, rather than merely coating the needles. The presence of magnesium and silicon sources during acicular mullite formation does not significantly affect the ability to produce a highly porous network of mullite needles.

Abstract: The present invention relates to modified geopolymer compositions, geopolymer-coated organic polymer substrates, and methods of manufacturing and articles comprising same.

Abstract: Porous composites of mullite and cordierite are formed by firing an acicular mullite body in the presence of a magnesium source and a silicon source. In some variations of the process, the magnesium and silicon sources are present when the acicular mullite body is formed. In other variations, the magnesium source and the silicon source are applied to a previously-formed acicular mullite body. Surprisingly, the composites have coefficients of linear thermal expansion that are intermediate to those of mullite and cordierite alone, and have higher fracture strengths than cordierite at a similar porosity. Some of the cordierite forms at grain boundaries and/or points of intersection between mullite needles, rather than merely coating the needles. The presence of magnesium and silicon sources during acicular mullite formation does not significantly affect the ability to produce a highly porous network of mullite needles.

Abstract: The present invention relates to modified geopolymer compositions, geopolymer-coated organic polymer substrates, and methods of manufacturing and articles comprising same.

Abstract: Skins and/or adhesive layers are formed on a porous ceramic honeycomb by applying a layer of a cement composition to a surface of the honeycomb and firing the cement composition. The cement composition contains inorganic filler particles, a carrier fluid and a clay material rather than the colloidal alumina and/or silica materials that are conventionally used in such cements. The cement compositions resist permeation into the porous walls of the ceramic honeycomb. As a result, lower temperature gradients are seen in the honeycomb structure during rapid temperature changes, which results in an increased thermal shock resistance.