Molecular sieves pore size

Figure 6.2 illustrates the separation of n-Csis and non-n-Cs/is in CaA molecular sieves or 5A. The separation mechanism is obvious when the kinetic diameter of the molecules and molecular sieve pore size opening are compared. n-Csjc have kinetic diameters of less than 4.4 A which can diffuse freely into the 4.7 A pores of the CaA molecular sieve, while non-n-Cs/ have kinetic diameters of 6.2A. A commercial example of shape-selective adsorption is the UOP Molex process, which uses CaA molecular sieves to separate Cio-C n-paraffins from non- -parafHns (aromatics, branched, naphthenes). 

Under these conditions all molecular sieves evaluated give essentially complete isomerization of m-xylene feed to a thermodynamic equilibrium mixture of xylene isomers, while the disproportionation activity to toluene and trimethylbenzenes varies significantly. The results of this study are summarized in Table III and in Figure 3, where xylene disproportionation activity is plotted as a function of molecular sieve pore size. In general, a rough trend can be seen in which the molecular sieves with larger pore sizes are more active for this undesirable side reaction. 

Molecular Sieve Pore Size Pore Volume m-Xylene Disproportionation, % Conversion... 

The pyrolysis of benzene over the active carbon surface results in the deposition of the carbon on the surface of the substrate carbon as weU as in the microporous system and at some preferred sites. The adsorption isotherms of organic molecules of varying sizes and shapes indicated that the carbon gets deposited preferentially in the pore entrances reducing entrance diameter resulting in the formation of carbon molecular sieves. Pore-size distribution curves indicated that the treatment with benzene between 3 and 6 hrs reduces the mean pore dimensions to 0.6 nm, and a larger time of treatment reduces pore entrances to less than 0.6 nm. 

If necessary, the water content can be reduced to 0.1% in a drying cabinet at 105°C with fresh or well-regenerated molecular sieves (pore size 3-4 A), it can be reduced to 0.05%. 

Molecular sieves (zeolites) are artificially prepared aluminosilicates of alXali metals. The most common types for gas chromatography are molecular sieve 5A, a calcium aluminosilicate with an effective pore diameter of 0.5 nm, and molecular sieve 13X, a sodium aluminosilicate with an effective pore diameter of 1 nm. The molecular sieves have a tunnel-liXe pore structure with the pore size being dependent on the geometrical structure of the zeolite and the size of the cation. The pores are essentially microporous as the cross-sectional diameter of the channels is of similar dimensions to those of small molecules. This also contrilsutes to the enormous surface area of these materials. Two features primarily govern retention on molecular sieves. The size of the analyte idiich determines whether it can enter the porous... 

Key Properties of Molecular Sieves Molecular Sieve Ring Size Pore Size, Channel System... 

In sorptive gas mixtures molecular sieve or size exclusion effects may occur as only the smaller molecules can enter the pores whereas the bigger ones are prevented from doing this due to their size. 

Fig. 2. Pore size distribution of typical samples of activated carbon (small pore gas carbon and large pore decolorizing carbon) and carbon molecular sieve (CMS). A / Arrepresents the increment of specific micropore volume for an increment of pore radius.

This division is somewhat arbitrary siace it is really the pore size relative to the size of the sorbate molecule rather than the absolute pore size that governs the behavior. Nevertheless, the general concept is useful. In micropores (pores which are only slightly larger than the sorbate molecule) the molecule never escapes from the force field of the pore wall, even when ia the center of the pore. Such pores generally make a dominant contribution to the adsorptive capacity for molecules small enough to penetrate. Transport within these pores can be severely limited by steric effects, leading to molecular sieve behavior. 

Typical pore size distributions for these adsorbents have been given (see Adsorption). Only molecular sieve carbons and crystalline molecular sieves have large pore volumes in pores smaller than 1 nm. Only the crystalline molecular sieves have monodisperse pore diameters because of the regularity of their crystalline stmctures (41). 

Adsorption. Although several types of microporous soHds are used as adsorbents for the separation of vapor or Hquid mixtures, the distribution of pore diameters does not enable separations based on the molecular-sieve effect. The most important molecular-sieve effects are shown by crystalline zeoHtes, which selectively adsorb or reject molecules based on differences in molecular size, shape, and other properties such as polarity. The sieve effect may be total or partial. 

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