Supercritical CO2 desorption of activated carbon loaded with 2,2,3,3-tetrafluoro-1-propanol in a rotating packed bed.

Desorption of activated carbon loaded with 2,2,3,3-tetrafluoro-1-propanol (TFP) by supercritical carbon dioxide in a rotating packed bed was investigated in this study. The experimental data show that the time required to achieve complete desorption of TFP from activated carbon in a rotating packed bed was much lower than that in a static packed bed. The reduction of desorption time is attributed to the presence of centrifugal force. The supercritical CO2 desorption efficiency in a rotating packed bed was observed to increase with increasing rotation speed, pressure, and C02 flow rate. To enhance desorption efficiency, a smaller activated carbon particle size was suggested. At low operating pressures such as 8.96 and 11.72 MPa, a better desorption efficiency was found to occur at lower temperatures in a temperature range of 305-335 K. However, at high operating pressures such as 15.86 MPa, a temperature of 315 K was found to be more appropriate for desorption, as compared to other temperatures. Due to a reduction of packed bed volume and an increase in desorption efficiency, supercritical CO2 desorption in a rotating packed bed is suggested for recovering TFP from the exhaust gases.