Method for achieving high reaction rates in solid-gas reactor systems

Claim 1

A method of increasing reaction rates in a chemisorption reaction process in which a gaseous reactant is alternately adsorbed and desorbed on a complex compound formed by adsorbing said gaseous reactant on a solid reactant, said complex compound having a substantially increased volume as compared to unreacted solid reactant, said method comprising restricting the volumetric expansion and controlling the density of said complex compound during said reaction whereby the reaction rates at which said gaseous reactant are capable of being adsorbed and desorbed on said complex compound are increased as compared to reaction rates using a complex compound formed without restricting the volumetric expansion and controlling the density during said reaction, and carrying out said reaction process at said increased reaction rates using the complex compound formed by restricting the volumetric expansion and controlling the density in said reaction.

Claim 2

A method of increasing reaction rates in a chemisorption reaction process in which a gaseous reactant is alternately adsorbed and desorbed on a complex compound formed by adsorbing said gaseous reactant on a solid reactant, said complex compound having a substantially increased volume as compared to unreacted solid reactant, said method comprising restricting the volumetric expansion and controlling the density of said complex compound during said reaction whereby the reaction rates at which said gaseous reactant are capable of being adsorbed and desorbed on said complex compound are increased as compared to reaction rates using a complex compound formed without restricting the volumetric expansion and controlling the density during said reaction, and carrying out said reaction process at said increased reaction rates using the complex compound formed by restricting the volumetric expansion and controlling the density in said reaction.

Claim 25

A method of increasing reaction rates in a chemisorption reaction process in which a solid reactant is exposed to a gaseous reactant to form a reaction product, said method comprising introducing said solid reactant at a first uncompressed density into a reaction chamber having one or more movable barriers for varying the volume thereof, compressing said solid reactant to a second density greater than said first density, substantially filling said reaction chamber with said solid reactant at said second density, exposing said gaseous reactant to said solid reactant to form said reaction product while maintaining compression of the reaction product in said reaction chamber with said one or more movable barriers whereby the reaction rates at which said gaseous reactant is capable of being adsorbed and desorbed on said reaction product are increased as compared to reaction rates using a reaction product formed without maintaining said compression, and carrying out said chemisorption reaction process at said increased reaction rates using said reaction product formed by maintaining said compression.

Claim 26

A method of increasing reaction rates in a chemisorption reaction process in which a solid reactant is exposed to a gaseous reactant to form a reaction product, said method comprising introducing said solid reactant at a first uncompressed density into a reaction chamber having one or more movable barriers for varying the volume thereof, compressing said solid reactant to a second density greater than said first density, substantially filling said reaction chamber with said solid reactant at said second density, exposing said gaseous reactant to said solid reactant to form said reaction product while maintaining compression of the reaction product in said reaction chamber with said one or more movable barriers whereby the reaction rates at which said gaseous reactant is capable of being adsorbed and desorbed on said reaction product are increased as compared to reaction rates using a reaction product formed without maintaining said compression, and carrying out said chemisorption reaction process at said increased reaction rates using said reaction product formed by maintaining said compression.

Claim 28

A method of increasing reaction rates in a chemisorption reaction process in which a gaseous reactant is alternatively adsorbed and desorbed on a reaction product of a solid reactant and said gaseous reactant, said method comprising introducing said solid reactant at a first uncompressed density into a reaction chamber having a fixed volume, compressing said solid reactant to a second density greater than said first density and substantially filling said reaction chamber volume with said solid reactant at said second density, and exposing said gaseous reactant to said solid reactant to form said reaction product while maintaining said second density of the reaction product in said reaction chamber during the chemisorption reaction, whereby the reaction rates at which said gaseous reactant is capable of being adsorbed and desorbed on said reaction product are increased as compared to reaction rates using a reaction product formed without maintaining said second density during said reaction, and carrying out said chemisorption reaction process at said increased reaction rates using the reaction product formed by maintaining said second density.

Claim 29

A method of increasing reaction rates in a chemisorption reaction process in which a gaseous reactant is alternatively adsorbed and desorbed on a reaction product of a solid reactant and said gaseous reactant, said method comprising introducing said solid reactant at a first uncompressed density into a reaction chamber having a fixed volume, compressing said solid reactant to a second density greater than said first density and substantially filling said reaction chamber volume with said solid reactant at said second density, and exposing said gaseous reactant to said solid reactant to form said reaction product while maintaining said second density of the reaction product in said reaction chamber during the chemisorption reaction, whereby the reaction rates at which said gaseous reactant is capable of being adsorbed and desorbed on said reaction product are increased as compared to reaction rates using a reaction product formed without maintaining said second density during said reaction, and carrying out said chemisorption reaction process at said increased reaction rates using the reaction product formed by maintaining said second density.

Claim 33

A method of increasing reaction rates in a chemisorption reaction process, wherein a gaseous reactant is alternately adsorbed and desorbed on a complex compound formed by adsorbing said gaseous reactant on a solid reactant, said complex compound capable of having a first density when allowed to expand without restriction during said adsorption, said method comprising maintaining the density of said complex compound during said reaction process at a second density, greater than said first density whereby the reaction rates at which said gaseous reactant is capable of being adsorbed and desorbed on said complex compound are increased as compared to reaction rates using a complex compound formed without maintaining the density during said reaction, and carrying out in said chemisorption reaction process at said increased reaction rates using the complex compound formed by maintaining the density during the reaction process.

Claim 34

A method of increasing reaction rates in a chemisorption reaction process, wherein a gaseous reactant is alternately adsorbed and desorbed on a complex compound formed by adsorbing said gaseous reactant on a solid reactant, said complex compound capable of having a first density when allowed to expand without restriction during said adsorption, said method comprising maintaining the density of said complex compound during said reaction process at a second density, greater than said first density whereby the reaction rates at which said gaseous reactant is capable of being adsorbed and desorbed on said complex compound are increased as compared to reaction rates using a complex compound formed without maintaining the density during said reaction, and carrying out in said chemisorption reaction process at said increased reaction rates using the complex compound formed by maintaining the density during the reaction process.

Claim 39

A method of increasing reaction rates in a chemisorption reaction process in which a gaseous reactant is alternately adsorbed and desorbed in a complex compound comprising a reaction product of said gaseous reactant and a solid reactant, said method comprising: mixing said solid reactant with a solid material inert to reaction with said solid reactant and said gaseous reactant at conditions of said chemisorption reaction, introducing the mixture of said solid reactant and inert solid material into one or more reaction chambers each having a first volume, said mixture being introduced to fill each of said reaction chambers to a second volume, less than or equal to said first volume, exposing said gaseous reactant to said solid reactant to form said complex compound and restricting the volumetric expansion and controlling the density of said complex compound during said reaction whereby said complex compound formed during said chemisorption reaction has a density greater than the density of said solid reactant prior to said reaction, and whereby the reaction rates at which said gaseous reactant is capable of being adsorbed and desorbed on said complex compound are increased as compared to reaction rates using a complex compound formed without restricting the volumetric expansion and controlling the density during said reaction and carrying out said chemisorption reaction process at said increased reaction rates using the complex compound formed by restricting the volumetric expansion and controlling the density.

Claim 40

A method of increasing reaction rates in a chemisorption reaction process in which a gaseous reactant is alternately adsorbed and desorbed in a complex compound comprising a reaction product of said gaseous reactant and a solid reactant, said method comprising: mixing said solid reactant with a solid material inert to reaction with said solid reactant and said gaseous reactant at conditions of said chemisorption reaction, introducing the mixture of said solid reactant and inert solid material into one or more reaction chambers each having a first volume, said mixture being introduced to fill each of said reaction chambers to a second volume, less than or equal to said first volume, exposing said gaseous reactant to said solid reactant to form said complex compound and restricting the volumetric expansion and controlling the density of said complex compound during said reaction whereby said complex compound formed during said chemisorption reaction has a density greater than the density of said solid reactant prior to said reaction, and whereby the reaction rates at which said gaseous reactant is capable of being adsorbed and desorbed on said complex compound are increased as compared to reaction rates using a complex compound formed without restricting the volumetric expansion and controlling the density during said reaction and carrying out said chemisorption reaction process at said increased reaction rates using the complex compound formed by restricting the volumetric expansion and controlling the density.

Claim 43

A method of increasing the reaction rates in a chemisorption reaction process in which a gaseous reactant is alternately adsorbed and desorbed on a complex compound formed by adsorbing said gaseous reactant on a solid reactant, wherein the solid reactant is selected from the group consisting of a metal halide, oxide, sulfate, sulfite, nitrate, nitrite or oxalate in which the metal is an alkali metal, alkaline earth metal, transition metal, aluminum or zinc, a double metal salt in which the two metals are selected from the group consisting of strontium, sodium, aluminum, silver, gold, calcium, magnesium and cobalt, a double metal salt in which one metal is an alkali or alkaline earth metal, and ammonium chloride, and wherein the gaseous reactant is selected from the group consisting of ammonia, water, carbon dioxide, sulfur dioxide, lower alkanols, alkyl amines, polyamines and phosphine, said complex compound capable of having a substantially increased volume as compared to unreacted solid reactant, wherein said method comprises restricting the volumetric expansion and controlling the density of said complex compound during said adsorption and desorption reactions, and carrying out said chemisorption reaction process at increased reaction rates over a period of time as compared to reaction rates over said period of time using a complex compound formed without said restriction of volumetric expansion.

Claim 44

A method of increasing the reaction rates in a chemisorption reaction process in which a gaseous reactant is alternately adsorbed and desorbed on a complex compound formed by adsorbing said gaseous reactant on a solid reactant, wherein the solid reactant is selected from the group consisting of a metal halide, oxide, sulfate, sulfite, nitrate, nitrite or oxalate in which the metal is an alkali metal, alkaline earth metal, transition metal, aluminum or zinc, a double metal salt in which the two metals are selected from the group consisting of strontium, sodium, aluminum, silver, gold, calcium, magnesium and cobalt, a double metal salt in which one metal is an alkali or alkaline earth metal, and ammonium chloride, and wherein the gaseous reactant is selected from the group consisting of ammonia, water, carbon dioxide, sulfur dioxide, lower alkanols, alkyl amines, polyamines and phosphine, said complex compound capable of having a substantially increased volume as compared to unreacted solid reactant, wherein said method comprises restricting the volumetric expansion and controlling the density of said complex compound during said adsorption and desorption reactions, and carrying out said chemisorption reaction process at increased reaction rates over a period of time as compared to reaction rates over said period of time using a complex compound formed without said restriction of volumetric expansion.

Claim 48

A method of carrying out a chemisorption reaction process in which a gaseous reactant is alternately adsorbed and desorbed on a complex compound at increased reaction rates, said complex compound formed by adsorbing said gaseous reactant on a solid reactant and having a substantially increased volume as compared to unreacted solid reactant, said method comprising increasing the number of moles of said gaseous reactant adsorbed and/or desorbed per mole of said complex compound per hour at adsorption or desorption cycle times of less than 60 minutes each utilizing an improved complex compound formed by restricting the volumetric expansion and controlling the density of said complex compound formed during said adsorption and desorption reaction, and carrying out said reaction process utilizing said improved complex compound at adsorption and desorption reaction times of less than 60 minutes, respectively.

Claim 49

A method of carrying out a chemisorption reaction process in which a gaseous reactant is alternately adsorbed and desorbed on a complex compound at increased reaction rates, said complex compound formed by adsorbing said gaseous reactant on a solid reactant and having a substantially increased volume as compared to unreacted solid reactant, said method comprising increasing the number of moles of said gaseous reactant adsorbed and/or desorbed per mole of said complex compound per hour at adsorption or desorption cycle times of less than 60 minutes each utilizing an improved complex compound formed by restricting the volumetric expansion and controlling the density of said complex compound formed during said adsorption and desorption reaction, and carrying out said reaction process utilizing said improved complex compound at adsorption and desorption reaction times of less than 60 minutes, respectively.