International Research Fellow Awards Program: Production of a Novel Activated Carbon Fiber Tailored for Low-Pressure Methane Storage

0076191摩尔国际研究员奖计划使美国科学家和工程师能够在国外进行三到二十四个月的研究。该项目的奖项提供了联合研究的机会，并利用国外独特或互补的设施、专业知识和实验条件。该奖项将为Brian C.Moore博士提供24个月的支持，与西班牙阿利坎特大学的Angel Linares-Solano教授合作，制备一种用于低压甲烷存储的新型活性碳纤维。这项研究的目标是定制用于低压甲烷存储的活性碳纤维(ACF)。PI假设ACF内的孔隙大小将在确定甲烷容量方面发挥关键作用。当天然气被吸附到孔隙中时，它的密度比作为气体时高得多。天然气在孔隙中的吸附倾向是孔隙宽度的函数。将制备不同孔径的ACF，并测量其各自的甲烷储量。其目标是确定什么样的孔隙大小与最大的甲烷储存量相关。有利的结果可能会使天然气成为一种极具竞争力的汽车燃料。天然气通常在高压下储存在昂贵的重型储罐中。这项研究可以生产出一种能够在比压缩天然气低得多的压力下竞争性地吸附天然气的ACF。利纳雷斯-索拉诺和他在阿利坎特的同事们已经进行了二十年的活性碳研究，使他们在这一研究领域拥有了相当多的专业知识。

0076191MooreThe International Research Fellow Awards Program enables U.S. scientists and engineers to conduct three to twenty-four months of research abroad. The program's awards provide opportunities for joint research, and the use of unique or complementary facilities, expertise and experimental conditions abroad.This award will provide Dr. Brian C. Moore with support for twenty-four months to work with Professor Angel Linares-Solano at the University of Alicante in Alicante, Spain on the preparation of a novel activated carbon fiber tailored for low pressure methane storage.The objective of this research is to tailor-make activated carbon fibers (ACFs) for low-pressure storage of methane. The PIs hypothesize that the size of the pores within the ACFs will play a crucial role in determining methane capacity. When natural gas is adsorbed into a pore it has a much higher density than it does as a gas. The tendency of natural gas to adsorb in a pore is a function of pore width. ACFs with different pore sizes will be produced and their respective methane storage will be measured. The goal is to determine what pore sizes correlate with the most methane storage. Favorable results could allow natural gas to emerge as a highly competitive vehicle fuel. Natural gas is usually stored under high pressure in heavy, expensive tanks. This study could produce an ACF capable of competitively adsorbing natural gas at pressures that are considerably lower than those of compressed natural gas.Dr. Linares-Solano and his colleagues at Alicante have been conducting activated carbon studies for two decades, giving them considerable expertise in this area of research.***