Mitsubishi Gas Chemical Company, Inc.

Hidefumi Hirai

Kenji Sakai

Toshiyuki Shimazawa

Nobutoshi Ootsuka

Disclosed are an adsorbent for CO, comprising a composite comprised of a porous inorganic carrier and, carried thereon, a binary complex of a nitrogen-containing compound and a copper(I) halide, the nitrogen-containing compound being at least one member selected from at least one pyridine compound and a diamine represented by R.sup.1 R.sup.2 N(CH.sub.2).sub.n --NR.sup.3 R.sup.4, wherein n is 2 or 3 and each of R.sup.1, R.sup.2, R.sup.3 and R.sup.4 independently represents a hydrogen atom or a C.sub.1 -C.sub.4 alkyl group, with the proviso that when n is 2, each of at least two of R.sup.1, R.sup.2, R.sup.3 and R.sup.4 represents a C.sub.1 -C.sub.4 alkyl group atoms and that when n is 3, at least one of R.sup.1, R.sup.2, R.sup.3 and R.sup.4 represents a C.sub.1 -C.sub.4 alkyl group, and a method for separating carbon monoxide by adsorption using the adsorbent. The adsorbent is advantageous in that the adsorbent can adsorb CO with high selectivity and has high adsorptive and desorptive ability for CO, that the adsorbent can be produced using a conventional carrier and without using hydrochloric acid, with economical advantages, and that since the adsorbent is a solid, it can be handled with ease.

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Chofu, Japan

Hidefumi Hirai