Zeolites exchangeable cations

When developing a liquid phase adsorptive separation process, a laboratory pulse test is typically used as a tool to search for a suitable adsorbent and desorbent combination for a particular separation. The properties of the suitable adsorbent, such as type of zeolite, exchange cation and adsorbent water content, are a critical part of the study. The desorbent, temperature and liquid flow circulation are also critical parameters that can be obtained from the pulse test. The pulse test is not only a critical tool for developing the equilibrium-selective adsorption process it is also an essential tool for other separation process developments such as rate-selective adsorption, shape-selective adsorption, ion exchange and reactive adsorption. 

Table 6.6 Durene/isodurene selectivity as a function of X-zeolite exchanged cation.

Type of zeolite Exchange cations References (type of isotherm)... 

Zeolites are named to represent the exchangeable cations in them for example, NaY is zeohte Y with sodium ions in the cation exchange positions. 

Under the mineralogical name zeolite such sieves occur naturally. For technical purposes due to their higher uniformity only synthetic zeolites are used [10], In the empirical formula Me is an exchangeable cation of the valence n (zeolites are cation exchangers). Molecular sieves have a very regular and orderly crystal structure, which is characterized by a three-dimensional system of cavities with a diameter of 11 A. These cavities are interconnected by pores with a constant diameter. The value of this diameter depends on the type of the exchangeable cation Me. It is 5 A, if in the above formula Me stands for 75% Na+ and 25% Ca2+. 

The present model deals with a supported transition metal cation which is highly dispersed, at the molecular scale, on an oxide, or exchanged in a zeolite. In the case of zeolite-supported cations, the formation of different metal species in metal/zeolite catalysts (metal oxides, metal oxocations, besides cationic species) has been considered by different authors who have suggested these species to play key roles in SCR catalysis [14,15], This supported cation can also be considered as located at a metal oxide/support interface. 

The important feature is the formation of a coordinatively unsaturated site (cus), permitting the reaction to occur in the coordinative sphere of the metal cation. The cus is a metal cationic site that is able to present at least three vacancies permitting, in the DeNOx process, to insert ligands such as NO, CO, H20, and any olefin or CxHyOz species that is able to behave like ligands in its coordinative environment. A cus can be located on kinks, ledges or corners of crystals [16] in such a location, they are unsaturated. This situation is quite comparable to an exchanged cation in a zeolite, as studied by Iizuka and Lundsford [17] or to a transition metal complex in solution, as studied by Hendriksen et al. [18] for NO reduction in the presence of CO. 

It is well known that Rh(I) complexes can catalyze the carbonylation of methanol. A heterogenized catalyst was prepared by ion exchange of zeolite X or Y with Rh cations.126 The same catalytic cycle takes place in zeolites and in solution because the activation energy is nearly the same. The specific activity in zeolites, however, is less by an order of magnitude, suggesting that the Rh sites in the zeolite are not uniformly accessible. The oxidation of camphene was performed over zeolites exchanged with different metals (Mn, Co, Cu, Ni, and Zn).127 Cu-loaded zeolites have attracted considerable attention because of their unique properties applied in catalytic redox reactions.128-130 Four different Cu sites with defined coordinations have been found.131 It was found that the zeolitic media affects strongly the catalytic activity of the Cd2+ ion sites in Cd zeolites used to catalyze the hydration of acetylene.132... 

For cationic zeolites Richardson (79) has demonstrated that the radical concentration is a function of the electron affinity of the exchangeable cation and the ionization potential of the hydrocarbon, provided the size of the molecule does not prevent entrance into the zeolite. In a study made on mixed cationic zeolites, such as MgCuY, Richardson used the ability of zeolites to form radicals as a measure of the polarizing effect of one metal cation upon another. He subsequently developed a theory for the catalytic activity of these materials based upon this polarizing ability of various cations. It should be pointed out that infrared and ESR evidence indicate that this same polarizing ability is effective in hydrolyzing water to form acidic sites in cationic zeolites (80, 81). 

The acidic character of 5A zeolite as a function of the calcium content has been explored by different techniques propylene adsorption experiments, ammonia thermodesorption followed by microgravimetry and FTIR spectroscopy. Propylene is chemisorbed and slowly transformed in carbonaceous compounds (coke) which remain trapped inside the zeolite pores. The coke quantities increase with the Ca2+ content. Olefin transformation results from an oligomerization catalytic process involving acidic adsorption sites. Ammonia thermodesorption studies as well as FTIR experiments have revealed the presence of acidic sites able to protonate NH3 molecules. This site number is also correlated to the Ca2+ ion content. As it has been observed for FAU zeolite exchanged with di- or trivalent metal cations, these sites are probably CaOH+ species whose vas(OH) mode have a spectral signature around 3567 cm"1. 

In general, the 2 1 clays are not very simple systems in which to study the interaction of water and surfaces. They have complex and variable compositions and their structures are poorly understood. Water occurs in several different environments zeolitic water in the interlayer regions, water adsorbed on the external surfaces of the crystallites, water coordinating the exchangeable cations, and, often, as pore water filling voids between the crystallites. Thus, there are many variables and the effects of each on the properties of water are difficult to separate. 

Zeolites present a porous structure of channels and cages of varying dimension (106-108). The exchangeable cations are located in different positions. Since more sites are available than charges to be neutralized, the neutralization pattern may vary with the kind of exchangeable cation (109-110). 

FAU type zeolites exchanged with many different cations (Na, K, Ba, Cu, Ni, Li, Rb, Sr, Cs, etc.) have been extensively studied. The unit cell contents of hydrated FAU type zeolite can be represented as M,j(H20)y [A Sii92 0384] -FAU, where x is the number of A1 atoms per unit cell and M is a monovalent cation (or one-half of a divalent cation, etc.). The number of A1 atoms per cell can vary from 96 to less than 4 (Si/Al ratios of 1 to more than 50). Zeolite X refers to zeolites with between 96 and 77 A1 atoms per cell (Si/Al ratios between 1 and 1.5) and Zeolite Y refers to zeolites with less than 76 A1 atoms per cell (Si/Al ratios higher than 1.5). 

Zeolites can be ion-exchanged with cations or impregnated with various metals to modify their performance for use in applications such as separations, adsorption and catalysis. For example, faujasite zeolites exchanged with Na, Li, K, Ca, Rb, Cs, Mg, Sr, Ba, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Ru, Pd, Ag, Cd, In, Pt, H, Pb, La, Ce, Nd, Gd, Dy and Yb have been made and studied due to their use in separation and catalysis [135]. The ability to determine the distributions of these cations in the zeolitic structure is one of the key parameters needed in understanding adsorption mechanisms and molecular selectivities. Little has compiled an excellent reference... 

Adsorbed water molecules on a zeolite adsorbent are polarizable due to a strong electrostatic field between the exchanged cations and alumina framework [26]. 

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