Adsorption equilibrium of activated carbon-ethanol pair and its applicability to adsorption refrigerator

Adsorption equilibria of lower alcohol vapors on granular and fibrous activated carbons were measured at 30 and 50 degreesC, and adsorption isotherms at various temperatures for every working pair were predicted from the equilibrium data obtained. The results showed that the fibrous activated carbon (FAC) with large surface area feet has a high adsorptive capacity for ethanol and/or methanol vapors. Accordingly, the high refrigeration of would be obtained from adsorption refrigerator using the FAC-lower alcohol pair. Furthermore, we attempted to prepare fibrous activated carbon with high bulk density (HD-FAC),from phenol resin fibers without using any binders. The HD-FAC consisting of smooth surface fibers have been successfully prepared, and its specific surface area was evaluated as 1202 m(2)/g. The refrigeration on volume base estimated for the (HD-FAC)-methanol pair was very high, showing the feasibility that this working pair is applicable to adsorption refrigerator.