Heat and mass transfer

A method of increasing reaction rates in a chemisorption reaction process in which a polar gas is repeatedly alternately adsorbed and desorbed on a complex compound formed by adsorbing said polar gas on a metal salt in one or more reaction chambers, said complex compound capable of having a first density if allowed to expand without restriction during said adsorption, said method comprising:

• determining the chemisorption process parameters and reaction conditions for which said process is to be used,
• selecting a metal salt and polar gas to be used in said process,
• determining desired chemisorption reaction rates for said metal salt and polar gas,
• determining the mass diffusion path length for said polar gas comprising a first reactor dimension and the thermal diffusion path length comprising a second reaction dimension, which will result in the said desired chemisorption reaction rates,
• providing a reactor having said one or more reaction chambers having said first and second dimensions, and
• carrying out said chemisorption reaction in said reactor while controlling the volumetric expansion of said complex compound during at least the initial adsorption reaction to form a reaction product in which at least a portion of the mass is structurally immobilized and self-supporting, having a second density and capable of increased chemisorption reaction rates as compared to a complex compound formed without controlling said volumetric expansion, and carrying out said reaction process using said complex compound having said second density at said increased reaction rates.

A method of increasing reaction rates in a sorption reaction process in which a non-polar gas is alternately adsorbed and desorbed on a reaction product of said gas and an adsorbent comprising zeolite, activated carbon, activated alumina, silica gel or a metal hydride, said method comprising:

• mixing said adsorbent with a metal salt comprising a halide, nitrate, oxalate, sulfate, or sulfite of an alkali metal, alkaline earth metal, transition metal, zinc, cadmium, tin aluminum, sodium boroflouride, or double metal chloride,
• introducing said mixture in a reaction chamber, adsorbing a polar gas on said mixture and forming a complex compound of said polar gas and said metal salt while limiting the volumetric expansion of the complex compound during at least the initial adsorption reaction to form at least a partially coherent, cohesive, physically self-supporting reaction product capable of increased reaction rates as compared to a complex compound formed without limiting the volumetric expansion,
• desorbing said polar gas from said complex compound and purging said polar gas from said reaction chamber, and
• introducing said non-polar gas into said reaction chamber and carrying out said sorption reaction at said increased reaction rates.