Zeolite separation capability

Transport Theory and Separation Capability of Zeolite Membranes... 

Another challenging and industrially important separation that utihzes pervapo-ration through zeolite membranes is acid removal from H2O. In this case, the zeolite must have a high Si/Al ratio due to leaching of A1 by the acid. Both Ge-ZSM5 and silicalite have demonstrated significant stability and separation capability for the removal of acetic acid from H2O [35]. 

In general, the properties and separation capabilities of the resulting membranes depend on the synthesis procedure. The amount of zeolitic material, support composition, penetration... 

The research on guest-inclusion complexes of calixarene based molecular crystals paved the way for different type of gas-sorption studies in these materials under various conditions. Although these materials generally dcai t possess uniform pore nor have high surface area (unlike traditional porous materials such as zeolite, molecular sieves or MOFs), their unique void structures make them attractive candidates for selective gas-sorption and separation applications. It should be noted that no uniform method were used to analyze the gas-sorption capacity (or separation capability) of these... 

In discussing gas phase separations, a few definitions will help in understanding the subject matter. Adsorbents, sometimes referred to here as sorbents, are solid chemical substances that possess micro-porous surfaces that can admit molecules to the interior surface of the structure. Zeolites in particular are solid, micro-porous, alumino-silicates with adsorption and or ion exchange capability. They affect separations by adsorbing molecules into their micro-structures. 

Mixed-matrix membranes comprising small-pore zeolite or small-pore non-zeolitic molecular sieve materials will combine the solution-diffusion separation mechanism of the polymer material with the molecular sieving mechanism of the zeolites. The small-pore zeolite or non-zeolitic molecular sieve materials in the mixed-matrix membranes are capable of separating mixtures of molecular species... 

This is the first book to offer a practical overview of zeolites and their commercial applications. Each chapter is written by a globally recognized and acclaimed leader in the field. The book is organized into three parts. The first part discusses the history and chemistry of zeolites, the second part focuses on separation processes and the third part explores zeolites in the field of catalysis. AH three parts are tied together by their focus on the unique properties of zeolites that allow them to function in different capabilities as an adsorbent, a membrane and a catalyst. Each of the chapters also discusses the impact of zeolites within the industry. 

Molecular sieve a synthetic zeolite mineral having pores of uniform size it is capable of separating molecules, on the basis of their size, structure, or both, by absorption or sieving. 

As for other recyclable heterogeneous catalysts, zeolites and related materials can also contribute to the development of environmentally friendly processes in the synthesis of bulk and fine chemicals. The concept of a biomass refinery, capable of separating, modifying and exploiting the numerous constituents of renewable resources, is gaining worldwide acceptance today with a very broad outlook. This chapter has attempted to show that this particular area of carbohydrate chemistry is in itself very rich, both in already acquired knowledge and potential future developments. 

Sorbents and separations based on 7r-complexation have also found use in other possible applications. Ag+ ion-exchanged X or Y zeolites showed an excellent capability for purification of olefins by removing trace amounts of corresponding dienes. This has been demonstrated for the butadiene/butene system (Padin, Yang, and Munson, 1999). 

The molecular sie es employed for this operation are synthetic siflco-alumioas which carry metallic ions, with uniform pore diameters between 3 and 10 A, and whose structure is comparable to that of natural zeolites. They are capable of separating linear carbon chains, which are specifically adsorbed, from those that are branched. Many technologies have been develops particularly by Exxon, BP British Petroleum), Texaco, UQP and 7fubn Carbide, which exploit their capacity for selective adsorption to isolate n-paraflins from their branched isomers as well as linear olefins from their branched homologues. ... 

Of the processes likely to favor its production, only the one proposed by Mobil currently appears capable of industrialization. This is because, among the different forms of zeolite developed by this company, tbe catalyst HZSM5, modified by magnesium mid phosphorus, is capable of alkylating toluene by ethylene with a high para isomer selectivity. Thus, a 95/5 blend of p- and m>methylethylbenzenes can be obtained, which considerably simplifies separation problems and yields p-meth styrene by dehydrogena ... 

Zeolitic materials have been widely used in the last decades in the chemical and petrochemical industries. This increasing interest on these materials is based in their unique properties a uniform intra-crystalline microporosity that provides aceess to a large and well-defined surface, the molecular sieve effect, and the electrostatic field centered at zeolite cations. Furthermore, some properties of zeolites can be tailored by changing the nature of the compensating cation located in the inner part of the cavities by means of their ion-exchange capability. In this way, the pore accessibility of some zeolites used in gas separation processes, as well as the adsorbent-adsorbate interactions, can be tailored by the introduction of cations with different size and chemical nature. Similarly, different cations can be used to introduce new chemical properties (acid-base, redox, etc.), which are needed for a given application in catalytic processes. 

First results on n-complexation sorbents for desulfurization with Ag-Y and Cu(I)-Y zeolites have been reported recently [3,4]. In this work, we included the known commercial sorbents such as Na-Y, Na-ZSMS, H-USY, activated carbon and activated alumina (Alcoa Selexsorb) and made a direct comparison with Cu(l)-Y and Ag-Y which were the sorbents with n-complexation capability. Thiophene and benzene vapors were used as the model system for desulfurization. Although most of these studies can be applied directly to liquid phase problems, Cu-Y (auto-reduced) and Ag-Y zeolites were also used to separate liquid mixtures of thiophene/benzene, thiophene/n-octane, and thiophene/benzene/n-octane at room temperature and atmospheric pressure using fixed-bed adsorption/breakthrough techniques. These mixtures were chosen to understand the adsorption behavior of sulfur compounds present in hydrocarbon liquid mixtures and to study the performance of the adsorbents in the desulfurization of transportation fuels. Moreover, a technique for regeneration of the adsorbents was developed in this study [4]. 

DD3R is the only 8-membered all-silica stmcture known. The template used for syntheazing DD3R (1-adamantanamine) can be removed completely. DD3R s capability of adsorbing small gases is comparable to other zeolites with 8-membered pore apertures like zeolite A [36].Thus, its ellipsoidal pore size of 4.4 x 3.6 A, which matches the kinetic diameters of most small gases closely, makes separations between branched and linear molecules possible. 

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