Molecular Sieve 13X for Effective Humidity Control

Molecular Sieves - An Introduction

Molecular Sieves are one of the most commonly found desiccants. With their evenly-sized pores, they can absorb moisture/impurity molecules, which are of the same size. Due to the even size, larger molecules will not be absorbed while the same sized small molecules can easily make their way through.

While Molecular Sieves have many different uses, they are mainly utilized in the column chromatography process. Here the Molecular Sieves act as a stationary phase, attracting the different components of the mixture, which has to be separated. When the chromatography process begins, the components having the highest molecular weight will leave the Molecular Sieve bed first. This happens because the heavier molecules are unable to pass through the molecular pores. It is only after the larger molecules move that the smaller molecules will move forward. Molecular Sieves also find use as desiccants.

Molecular Sieve 13X in Moisture Controlling

There are various grades of Molecular Sieves available in the market. These include Molecular Sieve 3A, 4A, 5A and 13X among others. While all these grades of Molecular Sieves are useful for different purposes, Molecular Sieve 13X is mainly used for the effective control of moisture in packaging, oil and gas and other sectors. The Molecular Sieve 13X is known to have a pore size opening equal to that of the 10A grade. This makes it handy in while removing moisture from liquid and gas refinements as it helps in the effective absorption for bi-molecule and tri-molecules.

There are many other reasons as well why Molecular Sieve 13X is used across industries. Molecular Sieve 13X can effectively co-adsorb CO2 and H2O, H2O and H2S. Molecular Sieve 13X also finds use as a desiccant for medical and compressor uses. This type of desiccant is also used as a catalyze carrier in industries.

Other than effective moisture control, Molecular Sieve 13X is also widely used in the air refining process by removing carbon dioxide and water. It is employed in the Oxygen PSA (Pressure Swing Adsorption) process. One can also effectively use Molecular Sieve 13X desiccant for the successful removal of grease and solvents from different substances.This is one of the most popular uses of Molecular Sieve 13X Other uses include removal of mercaptans and hydrogen sulphide from natural gas using patented Zeochem technology and effective removal of mercaptans and hydrogen sulphide from hydrocarbon liquids.

All these uses prove the high efficiency of Molecular Sieve 13X in not only moisture control but other areas as well

Molecular Sieve Adsorbents for Effective CO2 Removal

What are Molecular Sieve Adsorbents?

When we think of adsorbents, the first thing that comes to mind is Silica Gel. This, however, is not the only adsorbent being used by companies to remove moisture from closed spaces. Molecular Sieve Adsorbents are high-quality desiccants, which are equally effective in maintaining optimum humidity levels. Molecular Sieve Adsorbents are basically crystalline alumino-silicates, commonly known as zeolites.

They are manufactured in such a manner that they have a porous crystalline structure. These pores can re-adsorb water or other polar molecules. With the help of strong ionic forces or electrostatic fields (which are due to the presence of cations such as sodium, calcium and potassium) and with enormous internal surface area of around 1‘000 m2 /g, molecular sieves can take in a large amount of water or other compounds. If the fluid, which is to be adsorbed is a polar compound, it can be adsorbed with high loading, even during very low concentrations of the contaminants. Molecular sieves adsorbents are therefore capable of removing many gas or liquid impurities to very low levels (ppm or less). Another popular positive factor about Molecular Sieve Adsorbents is that they can separate gases or liquids by molecular size or polarity. This is largely made possible by the fact that the pore openings of the Molecular Sieve Adsorbents have the same size as a wide range of products. As the water molecule size is smaller than the Molecular Sieve Adsorbents size, they will be easily absorbed thus maintaining optimum moisture levels.

Molecular Sieve Adsorbents for Carbon Dioxide Adsorption

One may think that Molecular Sieve Adsorbents are only used for water vapour adsorption. That is, however, not the only thing it is used for. Molecular Sieve Adsorbents are utilized for adsorption of other compounds as well. One of them is Carbon Dioxide. Molecular Sieve for CarbonDioxide removal is very common among companies.

For obtaining an adsorbent with typical molecular sieve properties one makes use of thermal processing of granulated carbonaceous material at temperatures of 970-980 degree Celsius. This is usually done in the presence of gases to prevent the oxidation of the carbon material. At temperatures of around −196° C, the adsorption takes place in its micro-pores, whereas nitrogen and argon are taken in at the same temperature at the surface of transitional pores and macro-pores only.

It is mainly oil and natural gas companies, which make use of Molecular Sieve Adsorbents to remove carbon dioxide. It is mainly used to remove CO2 from stream cracked gas, Liquid Petroleum Gas and different atmospheric gases. Mainly, Molecular Sieve 3A and 4A is preferred for the above mentioned purposes.

There are many reasons why Adsorbents 3A and 4A are widely used for carbon dioxide removal. The first being these adsorbents have a high and very rapid adsorption rate. Another factor is that molecular sieve adsorbents are known to have a consistent adsorption speed and have a higher contamination resistance. All these factors make Molecular Sieve adsorbents the ideal substance for removing carbon dioxide from oil and natural gas industries. 

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