Carbon molecular sieves from PET for separations involving CH4, CO2, O2 and N2

Carbon molecular sieves (CMS) have been made for the first time from PET textile fibres by carbonisation and pore mouth narrowing using CVD of benzene. The diffusion of O2, N2, CO2 and CH4 in these materials, and also in the commercial CMS Takeda 3A, was studied. It was found that the best PET based CMS was obtained after 10 min CVD time and had adsorption capacities and rates of diffusion similar to those of the Takeda 3A.