Adsorbent coating compositions, laminates and adsorber elements comprising such compositions and methods for their manufacture and use

Abstract

Using zeolites as the active adsorbent, adsorbent laminates have been fabricated with various sheet supports. These adsorbent laminates have been successfully operated for oxygen enrichment at high PSA cycle frequencies, such as upwards of at least 150 cycles per minute. Methods for making suitable adsorbent laminates are described. The methods generally involve forming a slurry comprising a liquid suspending agent, an adsorbent and a binder. Laminates are made by applying the slurry to support material or admixing support material with the slurry. The slurry can be applied to support material using a variety of techniques, including roll coaters, split roll coaters, electrophoretic deposition, etc. One method for making laminates by mixing support material with the adsorbent slurry comprises depositing the slurry onto a foraminous wire, draining the slurry material, and pressing the material to form a ceramic adsorbent paper. Spacers can be formed on adsorbent laminates to space one laminate from another. The spacer dimensions can be uniform, or can vary along a laminate, such as increasing in height from a first end to a second end of the laminate. Gas flow-through apertures also can be formed on laminates. The laminates are adjacent one another to define flow channel between adjacent bodies, whereby a portion of a gas flowing through the flow channels flows through the apertures to facilitate pressure equalization in the adsorbent structure.

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