Theoretical and experimental studies of methane adsorption on microporous carbons

GCEMC molecular simulations of methane adsorption in model slit-shaped carbon pores show that variations in the density of carbon atoms in the pore wall have a significant influence on adsorbed methane density, although variations in inter-layer spacing and the number of layer planes in the pore wall, n, (n>2) have little effect. A model is proposed for calculating the influence of pore wall thickness on the stored volumetric methane capacities of a void-free microporous carbon monolith and model monoliths formed from close-packed powders and fibers. Volumetric methane capacities for the models were in reasonable agreement with measured values for carbon monoliths made from KOH-activated meso-carbon microbeads and for compacted activated carbon fibers. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science Ltd.