Types of Molecular Sieves

Molecular sieves are classified according to their pore sizes and chemical compositions. The pore size determines the types of molecules that can be adsorbed and excluded. The most common types of molecular sieves are 3A, 4A, 5A, and 13X, each having distinct characteristics and applications.

3A Molecular Sieves3A molecular sieves are composed of 0.6 K2O: 0.40 Na2O: 1 Al2O2: 2.0 ± 0.1 SiO2: xH2O. This structure is derived by substituting potassium cations for sodium ions present in the 4A structure, thereby reducing the effective pore size to approximately 3 Å.

The effective pore size of 3A molecular sieves excludes molecules with diameters greater than 3 Å, such as ethane. This makes them particularly suitable for the commercial dehydration of unsaturated hydrocarbon streams, including cracked gases, propylene, butadiene, and acetylene. They are also used for drying polar liquids like methanol and ethanol and in adsorbing small molecules such as NH3 and H2O from N2/H2 flows. Due to their effective exclusion properties, 3A molecular sieves are considered general-purpose drying agents in both polar and nonpolar media.

4A Molecular Sieves
4A molecular sieves have a composition of 1 Na2O: 1 Al2O3: 2.0 ± 0.1 SiO2: xH2O. This sodium form represents the type A family of molecular sieves.

With an effective pore opening of 4 Å, 4A molecular sieves exclude molecules larger than this size, such as propane. These sieves are preferred for static dehydration in closed liquid or gas systems, such as packaging drugs, electric components, and perishable chemicals. They are also effective in water scavenging in printing and plastics systems and drying saturated hydrocarbon streams. Adsorbed species for 4A sieves include SO2, CO2, H2S, C2H4, C2H6, and C2H6, making them a universal drying agent for various environments.

5A Molecular Sieves5A molecular sieves are composed of 0.80 CaO: 0.20 Na2O: 1 Al2O3: 2.0 ± 0.1 SiO2: xH2O. This structure replaces sodium cations with divalent calcium ions, creating apertures of approximately 5 Å.

The 5A molecular sieves can exclude molecules with effective diameters larger than 5 Å, including all four-carbon rings and iso-compounds. These sieves are widely used in the separation of normal paraffins from branched-chain and cyclic hydrocarbons and in removing H2S, CO2, and mercaptans from natural gas. Common adsorbed molecules include nC4H10, nC4H9OH, C3H8 to C22H46, and dichlorodifluoromethane.

13X Molecular Sieves
13X molecular sieves have a composition of 1 Na2O: 1 Al2O3: 2.8 ± 0.2 SiO2: xH2O. The sodium form represents the fundamental structure of the type X family , with an effective pore opening in the range of approximately 9 to 10 Å.

The 13X molecular sieves are primarily used in commercial gas drying, air plant feed purification (simultaneously removing H2O and CO2), and liquid hydrocarbon/natural gas sweetening (removing H2S and mercaptans). Due to their larger pore sizes, they are capable of adsorbing larger molecules that smaller-pore sieves cannot.

Fig.2 The structure of Zeolite 13X.Fig.1 Zeolite 13X structure[1].

Regeneration of Molecular SievesThe regeneration, or activation, of molecular sieves, is a critical process in maintaining their adsorption efficiency and extending their lifespan. Regeneration involves removing adsorbed substances from the molecular sieve bed, generally through heating and purging with a carrier gas.

Heating and Purging with Carrier Gas:

In typical cyclic systems, regeneration is achieved by heating the molecular sieve bed and purging it with a carrier gas. The heat must be sufficient to raise the temperature of both the adsorbent and the adsorbate to a level that vaporizes the liquid adsorbate and offsets the heat of wetting on the molecular sieve surface. For example, type 3A molecular sieves require a regeneration temperature range of 175-260°C. This lower temperature range helps to minimize the polymerization of olefins on the molecular sieve surface when such materials are present in the gas. For 4A, 5A, and 13X sieves, regeneration typically requires a higher temperature range of 200-315°C.

Cooling After Regeneration:

After the heating phase, a cooling period is necessary to reduce the molecular sieve temperature to within 15°C of the stream temperature to be processed. This cooling can be achieved by using the same gas stream as the heating phase but without any heat input. For optimal regeneration, it is advisable to use countercurrent gas flow relative to adsorption during heating and concurrent flow during cooling.

Alternative Regeneration Methods:

In some cases, small quantities of molecular sieves can be regenerated without a purge gas by oven heating, followed by slow cooling in a closed system, such as a desiccator. This method is suitable for situations where using a carrier gas is not feasible or practical.

ReferenceEffects of Water Content on SO2/N2 Binary Adsorption Capacities of 13X and 5A Molecular Sieve, Experiment, Simulation, and Modeling. Journal of Petroleum Science and Technology (2019).