How to choose activated carbon for oil and gas recovery?

The following key factors should be considered when selecting activated carbon for oil and gas recovery:

1.Specific surface area:

Activated carbon has a large specific surface area, usually between 1000-1500 m²/g. A higher specific surface area can provide more adsorption sites, thereby improving adsorption capacity.

2. Pore size distribution:

Oil and gas recovery usually requires activated carbon with different pore sizes to adsorb organic gases of different molecular sizes. The ratio of micropores (<2 nm) and mesopores (2-50 nm) needs to be reasonably distributed to effectively adsorb various components.

3. Adsorption capacity:

The adsorption capacity of activated carbon is an important indicator to measure its ability to adsorb organic gases under specific conditions. It is generally evaluated using adsorption isotherms or dynamic adsorption experiments.

4. Desorption performance:

Activated carbon needs to be able to regenerate and desorb effectively after adsorption to ensure its long-term use. Thermal regeneration and steam regeneration are common methods, so it is very important to select activated carbon with good desorption performance.

5. Mechanical strength and durability:

Activated carbon may experience mechanical impact and friction during use, so its mechanical strength and wear resistance also need to be considered. The integrity of the particles and moderate hardness can ensure that dust and particle fragmentation are not easily generated during long-term use.
6. Chemical stability:

Activated carbon needs to have good chemical stability in the working environment and is not easy to react chemically with the adsorbed gas to ensure long-term stable adsorption performance.
7. Specific application requirements:

According to actual needs, it is sometimes necessary to use activated carbon with modified surfaces, such as surface treatment to increase hydrophilicity or hydrophobicity, to meet specific adsorption requirements.
8. Environmental and cost considerations:

Finally, environmental protection and economy are also factors that need to be considered. Choosing activated carbon products with less environmental impact and higher cost performance during the production process can reduce the cost of long-term operation.