ELECTROCHEMICALLY MODULATED COMPLEXATION PROCESS FOR GAS REMOVAL AND CONCENTRATION

An electrochemically modulated complexation process was designed to ex tract and concentrate a gas-phase solute. The process was based on flo wthrough electrolysis cells that electrochemically modulate a liquid-p hase mass-transfer agent between high and low solute affinity forms. T he liquid phase in the high-affinity form contacts a feed gas phase fo r the extraction and contacts the receiving gas phase in the low-affin ity form. The chemical system used to demonstrate the general process was a Cu(II)Cu(I) redox couple in an acidic chloride electrolyte to bo th concentrate carbon monoxide against a pressure gradient and selecti vely separate it from a mixture with nitrogen. Experimental results an d modeling of this process are reported. The kinetics of the electroly sis reactions in the flow cells are discussed within the context of re lating ring disk voltammetry experiments.