High performance sorption binder for gas phase storage devices

Abstract

The invention relates to the use of a high performance thermoplastic polymer binder material for immobilizing adsorptive materials, such as activated carbon, in gas storage devices. The use of these binders, especially polyamide binders, polytetrafluoroethylene binders, or polyvinylidene fluoride binders such as Kyblock® resin, provides for high sorbent packing density, low fouling solid structure that maximizes the volume of gas to the volume of the storage space.

1 . A method of storing a gas comprising the steps of: a) providing a container capable of holding a pressurized gas, said container having an inlet, wherein a gas storage article is located inside said container, wherein the gas storage article comprises a porous sorbent media bound together by 0.3 to 30 weight percent of thermoplastic binder particles, wherein said binder particles have an average discrete particle size of between 5 nm and 1,000 nm, b) providing at least one gas, under pressure, c) providing the gas into the container having the gas storage article therein, wherein the gas is adsorbed and stored by the sorbent material, wherein the gas is selected from the group consisting of noble gases, hydrocarbons, hydrogen-based gases, methane, natural gas, CO2, CO, O2, N2, fluorinated gases, halogenated gases, silanes, phosphine, phosgene, boron trihalides, ammonia, hydrogen halide, sulfide, and cyanide. 
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said average discrete particle size is between 5 nm and 700 nm. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said average discrete particles is from 50 nm to 500 nm. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said thermoplastic binder is selected from the group consisting of fluoropolymers, styrene-butadiene rubbers (SBR), ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA), acrylic polymers, polymethyl methacrylate polymers and copolymers, polyurethanes, styrenic polymers, polyamides, polyolefins, polyethylene and copolymers thereof, polypropylene and copolymers thereof, polyethylene oxide, polyesters, polyethylene terephthalate, polyvinyl chlorides, polycarbonate, polyether ketone ketone (PEKK), polyether ether ketone (PEEK), and thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) and combination thereof. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said thermoplastic binder is selected from the group consisting of fluoropolymers, styrene-butadiene rubbers (SBR), ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA), acrylic polymers, polymethyl methacrylate polymers and copolymers, polyurethanes, styrenic polymers, polyamides, polyesters, polyethylene terephthalate, polyvinyl chlorides, polycarbonate and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said thermoplastic binder comprises a fluoropolymer, said fluoropolymer comprising one or more monomers selected from the group consisting of vinylidene fluoride (VDF), tetrafluoroethylene (TFE), trifluoroethylene (TrFE), chlorotrifluoroethylene (CTFE), hexafluoropropene (HFP), vinyl fluoride (VF), hexafluoroisobutylene (HFIB), perfluorobutylethylene (PFBE), pentafluoropropene, 3,3,3-trifluoro-1-propene, 2-trifluoromethyl-3,3,3-trifluoropropene, fluorinated vinyl ethers including perfluoromethyl ether (PMVE), perfluoroethylvinyl ether (PEVE), perfluoropropylvinyl ether (PPVE), perfluorobutylvinyl ether (PBVE), longer chain perfluorinated vinyl ethers, fluorinated dioxoles, partially- or per-fluorinated alpha olefins of C 4  and higher, partially- or per-fluorinated cyclic alkenes of C 3  and higher, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said thermoplastic binder comprises one or more polymers selected from the group consisting of polyvinylidene fluoride homopolymer, polyvinylidene fluoride copolymer, polytetrafluoroethylene homopolymers and copolymers, and polyamides. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said sorbent is selected from the group consisting of activated carbon, carbon fibers, molecular sieves, carbon molecular sieves, silica gel, and metal organic framework. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said sorbent comprises activated carbon or carbon fibers. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein said sorbent has a BET specific surface area greater than 1,000 m 2 /g. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein said sorbent has a BET specific surface area greater than 1,400 m 2 /g. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein said sorbent has a pore volume of at least 0.7 cc/g, and/or more than 30% of the pore volume with pore sizes in the range of 6 to 30 Å. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein said sorbent has a porosity higher than 40%. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein said sorbent has an average particle size of 0.1 to 3000 microns. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein said sorbent has an average particle size of 20 to 1000 microns 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein said sorbent has a multimodal particle size distribution. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 1  wherein said gas storage article has an immobilized bulk density greater than 1.1 times that of the bulk density of the sorbent. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the percent fouling of the sorbent of less than 15%. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the media comprises activated carbon, wherein the thermoplastic binder particles are comprised of fluoropolymer, wherein the discrete particle size is between 5 nm and 500 nm, and wherein the gas is selected from the group consisting of hydrocarbons, methane, and natural gas. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19  wherein said article comprises two or more concentric nesting annuli produced by either extrusion or compression molding.