The Adsorptive Separation of Ethylene from C<sub>2</sub> Hydrocarbons by Metal‐Organic Frameworks
Wenpeng Xie, Lingzhi Yang, Jun Zhang, Xuebo Zhao
Abstract
Abstract Separating ethylene (C 2 H 4 ) from the C 2 hydrocarbons is of prime industrial importance for the process of high‐purity C 2 H 4 as an essential raw material in the petrochemical industry. Due to their similar physicochemical properties, the separation of C 2 H 4 from the C 2 hydrocarbons typically entails high‐energy separation technologies such as cryogenic distillation and extraction. Alternatively, adsorption separation using metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) are low‐energy separation technologies that manufacture high‐purity gas under mild conditions. In this review, we summarized the recent advances in MOFs for the separation and purification of C 2 H 4 from the C 2 hydrocarbons. The mechanisms underlying separating C 2 H 4 from the C 2 hydrocarbons using MOFs are also highlighted. This review also discussed the major challenges and developments of MOFs to separate C 2 H 4 from the C 2 hydrocarbons.