# US 11,896,949 B2 · Adsorbent, canister and method for producing adsorbent > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,896,949 B2 - Document ID: US11896949B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/049,120 - Filed: 2019-04-24 - Published: 2021-08-05 - Granted: 2024-02-13 - Earliest claimed: 2018-04-24 - Assignees: Mahle International GmbH - Applicants: Mahle International GmbH - Inventors: Kenji Seki; Takayuki Hamase; Koji Yamasaki - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11896949B2 ## CPC - B01J 20/20: comprising free carbon; comprising carbon obtained by carbonising processes - B01J 20/24: Naturally occurring macromolecular compounds, e.g. humic acids or their derivatives - B01J 20/28: characterised by their form or physical properties - B01J 20/28011: {Other properties, e.g. density, crush strength} - B01J 20/28045: {Honeycomb or cellular structures; Solid foams or sponges} - B01J 20/28071: {being less than 0.5 ml/g} - B01J 20/28073: {being in the range 0.5-1.0 ml/g} - B01J 20/28083: {being in the range 2-50 nm, i.e. mesopores} - B01J 20/28085: {being more than 50 nm, i.e. macropores} - B01J 20/30: Processes for preparing, regenerating, or reactivating - B01J 20/3007: {Moulding, shaping or extruding} - B01J 20/3014: {Kneading} - B01J 20/3042: {Use of binding agents; addition of materials ameliorating the mechanical properties of the produced sorbent} - B01J 20/3078: {Thermal treatment, e.g. calcining or pyrolizing} - B01J 20/3092: {Packing of a container, e.g. packing a cartridge or column (of chromatography columns B01D15/206)} - F02M 25/08: adding fuel vapours drawn from engine fuel reservoir {(electrical control of purge system F02D41/003)} - F02M 25/0854: {Details of the absorption canister} - B01J 2220/46: Materials comprising a mixture of inorganic and organic materials (materials coated or impregnated on a carrier B01J20/32) - B01J: CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROCESSES, e.g. CATALYSIS OR COLLOID CHEMISTRY; THEIR RELEVANT APPARATUS - F02M: SUPPLYING COMBUSTION ENGINES IN GENERAL WITH COMBUSTIBLE MIXTURES OR CONSTITUENTS THEREOF ## Abstract An adsorbent to be packed into a canister, at least containing activated carbon and an additive material that has a higher heat capacity than the activated carbon. The adsorbent has first pores derived from the activated carbon that are less than 100 nm and second pores derived from meltable cores that are 1 μm or more. The adsorbent is in the form of a hollow molded body having an outer diameter of more than 6 mm and not more than 50 mm and including a cylindrical wall and honeycomb walls each having a thickness of not less than 0.2 mm and not more than 1 mm. The adsorbent has a volumetric specific heat of 0.08 kcal/L·° C. or more. The ratio of the volume of the second pores to the volume of the first pores is not less than 10% and not more than 200%. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An adsorbent to be packed into a canister, the adsorbent at least comprising: activated carbon; and an additive material having a higher heat capacity than the activated carbon, the additive material being at least one of a phase change and a phase transition material to suppress temperature change in the activated carbon during purging of an adsorbed fuel, wherein the adsorbent has first pores that are derived from the activated carbon and are less than 100 nm and second pores that are derived from meltable cores and are 1 μm or more, wherein the adsorbent is in a form of a hollow molded body having an outer diameter of more than 6 mm and not more than 50 mm and in which respective parts have a thickness of not less than 0.2 mm and not more than 1 mm, wherein the adsorbent has a volumetric specific heat of 0.08 kcal/L·° C. or more, wherein the ratio of the volume of the second pores to the volume of the first pores is not less than 10% and not more than 200%, and wherein the additive material is a metal oxide. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The adsorbent according to claim 1, wherein the adsorbent has a thermal conductivity of 0.1 kcal/m·h·° C. or more. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The adsorbent according to claim 1, wherein a mass of the additive material is not less than 1.0 times and not more than 3.0 times the mass of the activated carbon. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The adsorbent according to claim 1, wherein the additive material is the phase change material having a phase change temperature of 35° C. or lower, the phase transition material having a phase transition temperature of 35° C. or lower or both the phase change material having a phase change temperature of 35° C. or lower and the phase transition material having a phase transition temperature of 35° C. or lower. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The adsorbent according to claim 4, wherein a mass of the additive material is not less than 0.05 times and not more than 0.3 times the mass of the activated carbon. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The adsorbent according to claim 1, wherein a pore volume of the first pores in the adsorbent is less than 0.55 ml/g, and a ratio of the volume of the second pores to the volume of the first pores is not less than 20% and not more than 90%. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The adsorbent according to claim 1, wherein the second pores in a framework of the molded body constituting the adsorbent are present in a proportion of not less than 5 vol % and not more than 40 vol % of the framework. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The adsorbent according to claim 1, wherein the meltable cores are fibrous substances and have a diameter of not less than 1.0 μm and not more than 100 μm and a length of less than 1 mm. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The adsorbent according to claim 8, wherein the meltable cores are pulp fibers that have a length of 0.5 mm or less. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The adsorbent according to claim 8, wherein the adsorbent contains an inorganic binder, and wherein the meltable cores are present in an amount of not less than 10 mass % and not more than 45 mass % with respect to the total mass of the activated carbon and the inorganic binder. ### Claim 11 (depends on 8) The adsorbent according to claim 8, wherein the meltable cores have C—N bonds. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The adsorbent according to claim 1, wherein a difference in equilibrium adsorption capacity versus n-butane concentration is more than 35 g/L between an n-butane concentration of 5 vol and an n-butane concentration of 50 vol %. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The adsorbent according to claim 1, wherein a BWC of the adsorbent as determined according to a BWC evaluation method specified in ASTM D5228 is not less than 6.0 g/dL and less than 9.7 g/dL. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The adsorbent according to claim 1, wherein an amount of residual butane as determined after causing the adsorbent to adsorb and then desorb butane according to a BWC evaluation method specified in ASTM D5228 is less than 1.7 g/dL. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The adsorbent according to claim 1, wherein the adsorbent is the molded body that is in at least one form selected from the group consisting of a honeycomb, a hollow pellet, and a honeycomb pellet. ### Claim 16 (depends on 1) The adsorbent according to claim 1, wherein the second pores of 1 μm or more have an average diameter of not less than 1 μm and not more than 100 μm. ### Claim 17 (depends on 1) The adsorbent according to claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the parts has a thickness of not less than 0.2 mm and less than 0.6 mm. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The adsorbent according to claim 17, wherein a mass of the additive material is not less than 0.42 times and not more than 3.0 times the mass of the activated carbon. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The adsorbent according to claim 18, wherein a mass of the additive material is not less than 0.42 times and less than 1.5 times the mass of the activated carbon. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The adsorbent according to claim 19, wherein the mass of the additive material is not less than 0.42 times and not more than 1.0 times the mass of the activated carbon. ### Claim 21 (depends on 17) The adsorbent according to claim 17, wherein a pore volume of the first pores in the adsorbent is less than 0.8 ml/g, and a ratio of the volume of the second pores to the volume of the first pores is not less than 10% and not more than 90%. ### Claim 22 (depends on 17) The adsorbent according to claim 17, wherein the adsorbent contains an inorganic binder, and wherein the meltable cores are present in an amount of not less than 5 mass % and not more than 45 mass % with respect to the total mass of the activated carbon and the inorganic binder. ### Claim 23 (depends on 17) The adsorbent according to claim 17, wherein a BWC of the adsorbent as determined according to a BWC evaluation method specified in ASTM D5228 is not less than 6.0 g/dL and less than 11.0 g/dL. ### Claim 24 (depends on 1) A canister for treating fuel vapor, the canister comprising: a tank port configured to be in communication with an upper gas chamber of a fuel tank of an internal combustion engine; a purge port configured to be in communication with an air intake path of the internal combustion engine; an atmospheric port that is open to the atmosphere; and an adsorbent chamber through which fuel vapor flows from the tank port to the atmospheric port, wherein the adsorbent according to claim 1 is disposed in an atmosphere-side adjacent region that is provided adjacent to the atmospheric port in the adsorbent chamber, wherein the adsorbent includes an additive material that is at least one of a phase change material and a phase transition material, and wherein the additive material is a metal oxide. ### Claim 25 (depends on 24) The canister according to claim 24, wherein the adsorbent that contains activated carbon has a BWC as determined according to a BWC evaluation method specified its ASTM D5228 is 15.0 g/dL or more and the phase change material includes a phase change temperature of 36° C. or higher, the phase transition material includes a phase transition temperature of 36° C. or higher, or both the phase change material having a phase change temperature of 36° C. or higher and the phase transition material having a phase transition temperature of 36° C. or higher is disposed in a tank-side adjacent region that is provided adjacent to the tank port the adsorbent chamber. ### Claim 26 (depends on 1) A method for producing the adsorbent according to claim 1, the method comprising: mixing at least the activated carbon, the additive material that has a higher heat capacity than the activated carbon, and the meltable cores, and the kneading the resultant mixture; molding the kneaded mixture to obtain the molded body; and subjecting the molded body to at least one of drying and firing. ### Claim 27 (depends on 26) The method according to claim 26, wherein the respective parts have a thickness of not less than 0.2 mm and not more than 1 mm, and wherein a mass of the additive material is not less than 1.0 times and not more than 3.0 times the mass of the activated carbon. ### Claim 28 (depends on 26) The method according to claim 26, wherein at least a portion of the parts has a thickness of not less than 0.2 mm and less than 0.6 mm, and wherein a mass of the additive material is not less than 0.42 times and not more than 3.0 times the mass of the activated carbon. ### Claim 29 (depends on 26) The method according to claim 26, wherein the additive material is a phase change material having a phase change temperature of 35° C. or lower, a phase transition material having a phase transition temperature of 35° C. or lower, or both a phase change material having a phase change temperature of 35′ C. or lower and a phase transition material having a phase transition temperature of 35° C. or lower. ### Claim 30 (depends on 29) The method according, to claim 29, wherein a mass of the additive material is not less than 0.05 times and not more than 0.3 times the mass of the activated carbon. ### Claim 31 (depends on 26) The method according to claim 26, wherein the kneaded mixture contains an inorganic binder, and wherein the meltable cores are present in an amount of not less than 10 mass % and not more than 45 mass % with respect to the total mass of the activated carbon and the inorganic binder.