Zeolite Granular Material with Connected Structure
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing zeolite adsorbents in powder form face challenges with handling and pressure losses due to their small size, and agglomerated forms struggle with maintaining mechanical strength and adsorption capacity, especially in industrial-scale liquid phase applications.
Innovation Solution
Development of zeolite granular materials with a percolating structure, optimized macroporosity, and mesoporosity, and high mechanical resistance, achieved through a process involving a mixture of zeolite crystals and a clay binder, followed by heating and cation exchange, to create a connected assembly that enhances material transfer and adsorption properties.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If zeolite crystals are used in small sizes (few nanometers to few micrometers) to achieve optimal adsorption capacities, then adsorption capacity is improved, but handling difficulty and pressure drops increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple small zeolite crystals into larger agglomerates (0.1-1 mm diameter) that maintain the high surface area to volume ratio of small crystals while achieving easier handling properties. The agglomerates are formed by binding small crystals together, creating a hierarchical structure that resolves the contradiction between small crystal size for adsorption and large particle size for handling.
2Quantity of substance
If zeolite crystals are used in small sizes to achieve optimal adsorption capacities, then adsorption capacity is improved, but pressure drops increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
Small zeolite crystals are aggregated into larger particles with controlled pore structures that reduce flow resistance. The macroporous structure formed during agglomeration creates efficient fluid pathways that minimize pressure drops while maintaining the high adsorption capacity of small crystals.
3Manufacturing precision
If agglomerates are made with small-sized crystals to improve mass transfer properties, then mass transfer is improved, but mechanical resistance decreases due to increased fragility
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates composite agglomerates consisting of small zeolite crystals bound together by a binder material. This composite structure maintains the excellent mass transfer properties of small crystals while the binder provides mechanical strength and cohesion, preventing fragmentation during handling and operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The binder is strategically placed at the interfaces between small crystals and in the interstitial spaces, providing localized reinforcement where mechanical strength is needed most, while the interior small crystal structure maintains its superior mass transfer characteristics.
4Strength
If the rate of agglomeration binder is increased to strengthen cohesion of crystals, then mechanical resistance is improved, but adsorption capacities are reduced due to inert binder material
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a controlled, minimal amount of binder material - just enough to provide the necessary mechanical cohesion between crystals, but not so much that it significantly reduces the overall adsorption capacity. The binder content is optimized to achieve the minimum required strength while maximizing active adsorption sites.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The resulting zeolite granular material exhibits high mechanical resistance, optimized material transfer in both liquid and gas phases, and maintains effective adsorption capacity, making it suitable for industrial-scale separation processes with improved efficiency and cost-effectiveness.
Implementation Method 1
contacting with an alkaline basic solution, typically a solution of sodium hydroxide or a mixture of sodium hydroxide and potassium hydroxide
Implementation Method 2
heating the suspension to between 80°C and 600°C, preferably between 80°C and 150°C
Implementation Method 3
the field of adsorbents with a zeolitic structure
Data Source
Figure 1a~1b
Figure 2a~2b
AI summary
The present invention relates to a zeolitic granular material having a connected zeolitic structure across the entire volume thereof, having high mechanical resistance to crushing in the bed, and optimised material transfer in the macro-mesopores. The invention also relates to the method for preparing said zeolitic granular material, as well as to the use thereof as an adsorbent material in co-current or counter-current liquid phase separation methods, typically in a simulated mobile bed.