Principles of methane adsorption and natural gas storage

The adsorption amount of methane on 16 different kinds of materials at 3.5 MPa and 298 K holds a linear relation with the specific surface area. The linear relationship implies that gases are adsorbed monolayerly on the surface of adsorbents at above-critical temperatures. Determination of surface area and calculation of storage capacity of a material are explicitly discussed. It is indicated that methane storage is different from natural gas storage and the difference affects the development of storage material. Natural gas is a mixture and all components other than methane cannot be desorbed when the tank pressure released to atmospheric at ambient temperature, therefore, a storage mechanism other than adsorption might be more suitable.