REG: Acquisition of Microbalance for Sorption Studies on High Surface Area Solids

ABSTRACT

CTS-0079451

Michael Tsapatsis

The Department of Chemical Engineering at the University of Massachusetts Amherst will purchase a gravimetric system for sorption studies in porous solids. The system that will be acquired and assembled is built around an in situ gravimetric adsorption system designed to operate from vacuum (10-6 torr) to 10 bar and from -195 C to 500 C. This system measures the weight of a powdered sample in contact with a flowing gas or mixture of gases. The adsorption, desorption or

reaction on the solid is followed by the change of mass in time. On-line mass spectrometry or an on-line infrared detection system monitors the compositions of the gases passing over the sample allowing competitive adsorption studies.

A common theme in the current projects of the investigators to be supported under this effort is the adsorption and transport properties of gases and vapors in microporous and mesoporous media. A wide range of activities is centered in this theme ranging from fundamental studies of adsorption equilibrium in porous media to practical applications of these materials in the forms of powders, monoliths and membranes for gas and organic vapor separations. Examples of activities include:

Development of zeolites and other molecular sieve adsorbents and

membranes

Understanding hysteresis in adsorption isotherms

Adsorbent structure modification during adsorption

Phase transitions in porous media

Development of new techniques for microstructural characterization of

fabricated porous media

The research to be carried out using the system is all currently funded from Federal sources and grants from private research foundations and US industry (NSF, ATP, NASA, DOE, The David and Lucile Packard Foundation, The Camille and Henry Dreyfus Foundation, Engelhard Co.). Five faculty members and their research groups currently consisting of over twenty-five graduate students and post-doctoral workers and more than ten undergraduate students will use the equipment requested in this proposal.