Zeolite Adsorption Research Articles

Molecular Trapdoor in HEU Zeolite Enables Inverse CO2-C2H2 Separation.

The adsorptive separation of molecules with very similar physical properties is always a challenging task. Reported herein is the design and tailoring of zeolite adsorbent for the precise discrimination and separation of CO2-C2H2 mixture through the pronounced trapdoor effect. Typically, Sr exchanged K-type clinoptilolite, namely Sr/K-HEU, is developed as a robust zeolite adsorbent for inverse CO2-C2H2 separation, showing the-state-of-the-art dynamic CO2/C2H2 selectivity of 48.0 and sustainable CO2 dynamic uptake of 0.96 mmol/g at the same time. The perfect recyclability and the intrinsic low-cost nature of S/Kr-HEU make it a promising candidate for practical applications. Three-dimensional electron diffraction determines the precise structure of Sr/K-HEU and density functional theory calculations reveal the intricate interplay between guest molecules and the gate-keeping extraframework cations. Briefly, extraframework Sr2+ cations from the ten-membered rings of HEU zeolites act as the molecular trapdoor, allowing the entry of CO2 molecules while excluding C2H2. This work presents a new example of molecular trapdoor in zeolite and its successful application in the challenging inverse CO2-C2H2 separation, which not only expands the scope of molecular trapdoor concept but also improves current understanding on the nature of molecular trapdoor.

Enhanced VOCs adsorption over ZSM-5 nanosheets with different thicknesses along the b-axis

A systematic study was conducted on the effect of the b-axis thickness on the adsorption/desorption properties of representative VOCs (toluene and dichloromethane) by varying the diffusion resistance over ZSM-5 nanosheets. ZSM-5 nanosheets with about 30 nm thickness along the b-axis (Z5-3) presented a 1.3-fold higher adsorption capacity (83.9 mg/g) and 27 % enhancement in breakthrough times for toluene (38 min) compared with conventional ZSM-5 (Z5-4). Dichloromethane adsorption capacity on Z5-3 (micropore volume of 0.12 cm3/g) was approximately 53 % higher than that on Z5-4 (micropore volume of 0.08 cm3/g) and only weekly correlated to the b-axis thickness due to its small molecular size. The adsorption isotherms and molecular dynamic simulations indicated that a shorter b-axis thickness enhanced the diffusion of toluene (3.9 × 10-5 cm2/s) and dichloromethane (7.2 × 10-5 cm2/s), as well as the toluene adsorption capacities over ZSM-5 samples. The toluene and dichloromethane physisorption mechanism was verified by adsorption kinetics. Additionally, the toluene and dichloromethane adsorption capacities of all samples decreased by about 33 % and 21 % at a relative humidity (RH) of 50 % at 298 K, respectively. This indicated that the structure of ZSM-5 samples did not significantly affect their hydrophobicity. Moreover, according to the competitive adsorption test results, toluene and dichloromethane underwent successive co-adsorption, competitive adsorption, and equilibrium adsorption. These findings are useful for designing high-performance and cost-effective zeolite adsorbents to efficiently remove volatile organic compounds from industrial sources.

Elucidating Thermodynamically Driven Structure–Property Relations for Zeolite Adsorption Using Neural Networks

Elucidating Thermodynamically Driven Structure–Property Relations for Zeolite Adsorption Using Neural Networks

Magnetic CuFe2O4 Nanoparticles Immobilized on Modified Rice Husk-Derived Zeolite for Chlorogenic Acid Adsorption

Adsorption has emerged as a promising method for removing polyphenols in water remediation. This work explores chlorogenic acid (CGA) adsorption on zeolite-based magnetic nanocomposites synthesized from rice husk waste. In particular, enhanced adsorbing materials were attained using a hydrothermal zeolite precursor (Z18) synthesized from rice husk and possessing a remarkable specific surface area (217.69 m2 g−1). A composite material was prepared by immobilizing magnetic copper ferrite on Z18 (Z18:CuFe2O4) to recover the zeolite adsorbent. In addition, Z18 was modified (Z18 M) with a mixture of 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane (APTES) and trimethylchlorosilane (TMCS) to improve the affinity towards organic compounds in the final nanocomposite system (Z18 M:CuFe2O4). While the unmodified composite demonstrated inconsequential CGA removal rates, Z18 M:CuFe2O4 could adsorb 89.35% of CGA within the first hour of operation. Z18 M:CuFe2O4 showed no toxicity for seed germination and achieved a mass recovery of 85% (due to a saturation magnetization of 4.1 emu g−1) when an external magnetic field was applied. These results suggest that adsorbing magnetic nanocomposites are amenable to CGA polyphenol removal from wastewater. Furthermore, the reuse, revalorization, and conversion into value-added materials of agro-industrial waste may allow the opportunity to implement sustainability and work towards a circular economy.

Research on the carbon neutralization of hot mix asphalt pavement based on life cycle assessment theory

The goal of reducing carbon emissions in the field of road engineering has become an important deployment strategy. Based on the life cycle assessment (LCA) theory, the environmental impact assessment and analysis of hot-mix asphalt pavement were carried out in this work on the basis of collecting and investigating the environmental load list data of hot-mix asphalt pavement. According to different life cycle stages, corresponding carbon neutralization schemes were proposed, and the optimal carbon neutralization schemes at different stages were obtained by simulation using queuing theory. The results showed that in the whole life cycle of hot mix asphalt pavement, the construction stage had the highest energy consumption and carbon emissions compared to the other stages, and its global warming potential (GWP) and Chinese abiotic depletion potential (CADP) were also the highest, with the greatest impact on the environment. Compared to other stages, the repair and demolition stage had the smallest contribution to the GWP and CADP evaluation indicators. In the material production stage, the ASRT 5A zeolite adsorbent had the best adsorption effect on carbon dioxide gas. The carbon emissions generated during the production phase of the neutralization material required an ASRT 5A zeolite adsorbent of about 83 kg. Michelia chapensis exhibited the best carbon dioxide purification effect compared to the other three trees during the transportation construction and maintenance disassembly phase. Michelia chapensis required a leaf area of about 28,016 m2 to neutralize the carbon dioxide emissions generated in these two stages.

Examining the influence of sintering temperatures on the efficiency of 3D-printed natural zeolite for methylene blue dye adsorption

Additive manufacturing technology, with its potential for improved material efficiency, cost reduction, and capability to fabricate complex structures, is increasingly being leveraged in environmental engineering applications. This study harnesses this technology for fabricating natural zeolite adsorbents using an extrusion-based 3D printer, examining the influence of different sintering temperatures (300, 600, 900, and 1200 °C) on the adsorbents' properties. The study finds that samples sintered at 300 °C disintegrated in water, while those at 1200 °C underwent melting, changing their shape. Focus was then shifted to samples sintered at 600 °C (3D-Ze-600) and 900 °C (3D-Ze-900), with the former displaying a remarkable methylene blue (MB) adsorption efficiency of 82.5%, significantly higher than the latter's 20.1%. This disparity in adsorption performance is closely linked to the difference in porosity; the 600 °C samples exhibited a notably higher apparent porosity, which was instrumental in their enhanced adsorption capability. In contrast, the 900 °C samples, despite their lower porosity, showed diminished adsorption efficiency. XRD analysis further revealed that the superior performance of the 600 °C samples could be attributed to their preserved crystalline structure, which was altered in the 900 °C samples. These findings highlight the critical role of sintering temperature in determining the structural and functional properties of 3D-printed zeolites, demonstrating their potential as efficient adsorbents in wastewater treatment and offering valuable insights for optimizing the fabrication process for environmental applications.

Separation of 2,3-Butanediol from Fermentation Broth via Cyclic and Simulated Moving Bed Adsorption Over Nano-MFI Zeolites.

The biomass-based platform molecule 2,3-butanediol (2,3-BDO) has a wide range of applications in production of sustainable fuels, chemicals, synthetic rubber, and others. However, the selective separation of 2,3-BDO from multicomponent fermentation broths presents challenges due to its low concentration, high solubility in water, high boiling point, and presence of many other species. Here, we demonstrate remarkably selective enrichment and recovery of 2,3-BDO from a corn stover hydrolysate fermentation broth by a pure-silica nano-MFI-type zeolite adsorbent. By means of cyclic and simulated moving bed adsorption processes, we obtained concentrated aqueous 2,3-BDO streams from the fermentation process stream with ∼93% purity and 3-fold enrichment, and >98% purity and 8-fold enrichment, respectively. These findings provide strong support for large-scale adsorptive separation for biobased 2,3-BDO production.

Molecular Insight into the Electric Field Regulation of N2 and CH4 Adsorption in the Trapdoor ZSM-25 Zeolites.

Controlling gas admission by regulating pore accessibility in porous materials has been a topic of extensive research. Recently, the electric field (E-field) has emerged as an external stimulus to alter the adsorption behavior of some microporous adsorbents. However, the mechanism behind this phenomenon is not yet fully understood. Here, we demonstrate the crucial role of the trapdoor cations of zeolite molecular sieves in E-field-regulated gas adsorption. The E-field activation caused framework expansion and cation deviation, significantly reducing the energy barrier for gas molecules passing through the pore aperture gated by the trapdoor cation. This led to an increase in the N2 adsorption capacity of ZSM-25 and a 60% improvement in N2/CH4 selectivity in the quest for nitrogen rejection for natural gas processing. By combining experimental and computational approaches, we elucidated the influence of E-field activation as a concurrent effect of the reduced heat of adsorption caused by framework expansion and the decrease in the energy barrier resulting from promoted cation oscillation. These findings pave the way for the material design of E-field-regulated adsorption and its application in molecular separation.

Systematic screening and evaluation for an optimal adsorbent in a facade-integrated adsorption-based solar cooling system for high-rise buildings

Solar-powered adsorption chillers are a climate-friendly solution for building cooling, but costs and space requirements limit their widespread adoption. Recently developed adsorption cooling facade systems (ACFS) save installation space and further reduce CO2 emissions. The performance of ACFS depends on the implemented adsorbent. To achieve low costs and high performance of ACFS, this study systematically screened and scored adsorbents using the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) method, focusing on price, stability, driving temperature and adsorption capacity. This method narrowed down 293 adsorbents to top 10 scored adsorbents including 4 silica gels, 4 active carbons and 2 molecular sieves. The adsorbent-specific performance is evaluated by numerical simulation, revealing silica gel Type A++, Type 2560, Siogel and molecular sieve AQSOA-FAM-Z02 have peak adsorber temperatures 1.5–9.3 °C lower and increase solar cooling efficiency (SCE) by 25–27 % compared to reference adsorbent Zeolite 13X. A sensitivity analysis of the Dubinin-Astakhov equation shows increasing E and decreasing V leads to an only minor adsorber temperature decrease and minor system efficiency increase. Lower temperatures and higher capacity cannot guarantee better system performance. This underscores that improving system performance cannot be achieved solely through adsorbent optimization but requires system optimization in parallel.

Faujasite/graphene nanoribbon hybrid adsorbent pellet for carbon dioxide capture

Pelletizing zeolite adsorbents is essential for practical applications, but conventional pelletization methods involve binders that can alter material properties. This study presents a one-pot approach to synthesizing FAU-type zeolite/graphene oxide nanoribbon (GONR) composite powders that can be pelletized by simple pressing without binders. This one-pot synthesis can be conducted without structure-directing agents, making the process simpler and more efficient. During zeolite crystallization, the particles decorate the strands of GONRs, effectively generating additional macropores and enhancing the pellets’ mechanical strength. Additionally, GONR suppresses water adsorption while maintaining good CO₂ adsorption, which improves the material’s performance under humid conditions. The FAU/GONR pellets exhibited enhanced mass transport properties compared to neat FAU pellets, as demonstrated by 10 times higher CO₂ permeability. The highest CO₂/N₂ selectivity of 76.5 was observed with 12 wt% GONR-containing pellet, and the performance was comparable to conventional pellets, while the fabrication procedure remained simple.

Robust Imidazopyridinium Covalent Organic Framework as Efficient Iodine Capturing Materials in Gaseous and Aqueous Environment.

The development of a high-performing adsorbent that can capture both iodine vapor from volatile nuclear waste and traces of iodine species from water is an important challenge, especially in industrially relevant process conditions. This study introduces novel imidazopyridinium-based covalent organic frameworks (COFs) through post-modification of a picolinaldehyde-based imine COF. These COFs demonstrate excellent iodine adsorption capacity, adsorption kinetics, and a high stability/recyclability in both vapor and water phases. Notably, one imidazopyridinium COF exhibits gaseous iodine uptake of 21wt.% under dynamic adsorption conditions at 150°C and a relative humidity of 50%, surpassing the performance of the currently used silver-based zeolite adsorbents (Ag@MOR (17wt.%)). Additionally, the same imidazopyridinium COFs can efficiently remove iodine species at a low concentration from aqueous solution. Seawater containing triiodide ions treated under dynamic flow-through conditions resulted in decreased concentrations down to the ppb level. The adsorption mechanisms for iodine and polyiodide species are elucidated for the imine COF and imidazopyridinium COFs; involving halogen bonding, hydrogen bonding, and charge-transfer complexes.

Application of natural zeolite adsorption in cooperation with photosynthesis for the post-treatment of microbial fuel cells.

Microbial fuel cells (MFCs) are a promising technology that directly converts organic matter (OM) in wastewater into electricity while simultaneously degrading contaminants. However, MFCs are insufficient for the removal of nitrogenous compounds. Therefore, the post-treatment of MFCs is essential. This study was the first to use natural zeolite adsorption integrated with photosynthesis (ZP) for post-treating MFCs. In this system, no external energy was required; instead, natural light was used to promote the growth of photosynthetic microorganisms, thereby enhancing contaminants removal through the photosynthesis process. To assess the effectiveness of the method, comparisons were conducted under two conditions: dark (no photosynthesis) and light (with photosynthesis). In darkness, extending hydraulic retention time (HRT) enhanced COD and BOD removal by 19.8% and 28.9%, respectively. When exposed to natural light, improvements were even more notable, with COD and BOD removal reaching 32% and 40%, respectively. In both conditions, the method effectively removed NH4 +, achieving 60% efficiency in darkness and 84.5% in light. This study showed that the adsorption capacity of the zeolite reached saturation when the cumulative liquid volume per unit weight of the zeolite exceeded 0.2 L g-1. The key functional photosynthetic microbes were investigated using 16S rRNA and 18S rRNA. This revealed the presence of microorganisms such as Chlorobium, Acidovorax, Novosphingobium, and Scenedesmus, which likely play a role in enhancing the efficiency of photosynthesis in removing contaminants. The study findings indicated that the integration of MFCs-ZP represents an eco-friendly approach capable of resource recovery from wastewater while also meeting discharge standards.

Removal of Ammonia and Colour from Landfill Leachate using Integrated Electrocoagulation-Zeolite Adsorption Processes

The amount of waste generated in Malaysia had increased annually due to both economic and population accelerations. This resulted in an increase in leachate production that contains a high amount of ammonia nitrogen (NH3-N) and colour, which is a severe problem for both environments as well as for human health. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the potential of Electrocoagulation (EC) – zeolite adsorption for removing NH3-N and colour from landfill leachate. In the experimental works, two batch studies consist of batch EC using aluminium (Al) cylindrical electrode and batch adsorption study using clinoptilolite zeolites adsorbent were conducted using leachate sample collected from Pulau Burung Sanitary Landfill (PBSL). The batch EC experiment was carried out to determine the optimum removal of NH3-N and colour by the effect of current density (7 - 35 mA/mm2), initial pH (5 - 9), electrolysis time (0 - 90 minutes) and inter-electrode distance (5 - 25 mm). An integrated EC - zeolite adsorption was carried out under the optimum condition of 2.0 g/150 mL adsorbent dosage, contact time of 100 minutes and an initial pH value of 8. Based on the experiment, almost 50% of NH3-N and 95% of colour were removed using a single EC under the optimum current density of 14.0 mA/mm2, pH 5, electrolysis time of 75 minutes and 15 mm of inter-electrode distance. A comparison of colour removal between single EC and EC-Zeolite showed the same degradation performance. The interaction of hydrogen ion (H+) with aluminium hydroxide ion (Al (OH)3) produces during EC stabilises small particles forming larger sludge that reduces colour concentration. The removal of NH3-N increased from 50.0% to 93% when EC was integrated with clinoptilolite zeolite adsorption. In conclusion, the results show that both processes can potentially remove colour while the integrated process effectively removes NH3-N from landfill leachate. The proposed treatment helps optimise process performance while minimising the operational cost of the treatment. Thus, the proposed integrated EC – zeolite adsorption processes can be an alternative to landfill leachate treatment which aligns with the 12thMalaysia Plan to reduce pollution and carbon emissions to become a carbon neutral nation as early as 2050.

Highly efficient recovery of phosphate and fluoride from phosphogypsum leachate: Selective precipitation and adsorption

Phosphogypsum, a typical by-product in the phosphorus chemical industry, could generate a large amount of leachate containing phosphate and fluoride in the process of rainfall and long-term stacking, which not only causes serious environmental pollution, but also leads to a waste of resources. In this study, a united treatment of calcium hydroxide precipitation and lanthanum zeolite (La-ZFA) adsorption was proposed to achieve the recovery of phosphate and fluoride from phosphogypsum leachate. In phosphogypsum, most phosphorus could be leached except P in the residual occurrence form, while for fluoride, only water-soluble F could be effectively leached. The optimum leaching amounts of phosphate and fluoride were 22.59 and 4.64 mg/g, respectively, at liquid-solid ratio of 400:1, leaching time of 120 min, pH of 6.0, particle size of >200 mesh (<0.075 mm), and leaching temperature of 25°C. Using Ca(OH)2 as the precipitant, the phosphate could be precipitated selectively from phosphogypsum leachate by controlling pH and time, and the concentrations of it decreased significantly to 0.29 mg/L at pH 10.0, with a removal efficiency of 99.48%. XRD, SEM and Visual MINTEQ software analysis proved that the main component of the precipitate was hydroxyapatite (Ca5(PO4)3(OH)). After P precipitation, a series of sorbents for fluoride were investigated, and La-ZFA sorbent was chosen and utilized to recover the fluoride from the leachate through a cyclic fixed-bed column. The efficiency of La-ZFA was basically not affected by the high concentration sulfate, and it can selectively adsorb fluoride from phosphogypsum leachate, leading to a final fluoride concentration of 0.29 mg/L in the effluent. The characterization demonstrated that fluoride might be adsorbed onto the La-ZFA via ligand exchange with hydroxy groups. The proposed method in this study is expected to sequentially recover phosphate and fluorine from the leachate of phosphogypsum, and it has great guiding significance for resource utilization and management of phosphogypsum.

Fixed-bed adsorption of methylene blue using granular NaX zeolite/attapulgite composite: efficiency, mechanism and reusability of saturated G-NaX/A

A novel granular NaX zeolite/attapulgite (G-NaX/A) composite was developed to address the challenges of high pressure drop in fixed beds with powder synthetic zeolite and low adsorption capacity of natural zeolite. The synthesized G-NaX/A retains the micropores of NaX and the mesoporous of attapulgite. The BET specific surface area reached 481.17 m2/g, and the total pore volume was 0.3549 cm3/g. The G-NaX/A maximum methylene blue (MB) adsorption capacity was 1.56 times that of commercial granular activated carbon (7.41 mg/g). The breakthrough time and adsorption capacity improved with lower influent flow rate and MB concentration and higher pH. Under optimal conditions (flow rate: 150 mL/min, MB concentration: 25 mg/L, pH = 8), it achieved a maximum adsorption capacity of 11.51 mg/g and a breakthrough time of 2.54 h. The adsorption behavior of G-NaX/A was well-fitted by the Yoon–Nelson and Thomas models at different operating conditions. The mechanism studies revealed that MB (cation: C16H18SN3+) removal by G-NaX/A occurred through electrostatic attraction, ion exchange with Na+/Mg2+, surface coordination with ≡Al/SiOH, and surface physical adsorption. The regeneration studies confirmed the reusability potential of G-NaX/A by calcining at 500 °C for 2 h, and significantly improved adsorption capacity reaching about 14.39 mg/g, 16.31 mg/g and 14.07 mg/g across the three adsorption-regeneration cycles respectively. The findings support G-NaX/A technical feasibility, high adsorption capacity and potential for further scaling in fixed bed adsorption studies.

Landfill leachate treatment using sequential natural zeolite adsorption and peroxymonosulfate activated by UV/Fe2+ system: Effects of main operating parameters and application of fluorescence EEM to monitor organic matters’ transformation

The significant increase in global Landfill Leachate is a pressing challenge directly linked to the growing global population. Among the strategies for landfill leachate treatment, advanced oxidation processes using sulfate radical (SR-AOP) have gained considerable interest, despite the challenge of nitrate generation during ammonia oxidation. This study introduces a sequential treatment method that combines adsorption and a UV/PMS/Fe2+ system to assess its impact on COD (Chemical Oxygen Demand) and ammonia removal efficiencies.The results show that the sequential process achieves optimal COD and ammonia removal rates of 88 % and 88.3 % respectively. The increase in UV254 absorbance removal during the adsorption phase indicates the removal of UV quenching substances (UVQS), supporting the effectiveness of using adsorption as a pretreatment for the UV-assisted systems (UV/PMS/Fe2+). Additionally, analysis using Inductively Coupled Plasma-Optical Emission Spectrometry (ICP-OES) reveals that the adsorption treatment before the SR-AOP process not only enhances COD and ammonia removal efficiencies, but also eliminates heavy metals such as vanadium (V), titanium (Ti), zinc (Zn), and aluminum (Al) present in leachate.Moreover, the higher BOD/COD ratio suggests improved biodegradability of the effluent. When compared to other systems at optimal conditions, the sequential adsorption and UV/PMS/Fe2+ systems demonstrate superior performance, focusing on removing refractory matter and reducing ammonia content, especially effective at a pH level of 7.25. Analysis using Excitation-Emission Matrix (EEM) shows a shift from primary peaks in raw leachate spectra associated with humic and fulvic acid-like compounds to lower-intensity peaks from fulvic-like small molecule materials in the treated effluent.

Odors Adsorption in Zeolites Including Natural Clinoptilolite: Theoretical and Experimental Studies.

This publication presents the results of combined theoretical and experimental research for the potential use of natural clinoptilolite zeolite (CLI) as an odor-adsorbing material. In this study of adsorption capacity, CLI of various granulation was used and its modifications were made by ion exchange using Sn and Fe metals to check whether the presence of metals as potential active centers does not lead to catalytic processes and may lead to enhanced absorption of odorous substances through their adsorption on the created metallic forms. Additionally, in order to increase the specific surface area, modifications were made in the form of hierarchization in an acidic environment using hydrochloric acid to also create the hydrogen form of zeolite and thus also check how the material behaves as an adsorbent. To compare the effect of CLI as a sorption material, synthetic zeolite MFI was also used-as a sodium form and after the introduction of metals (Sn, Fe). The above materials were subjected to adsorption measurements using odorous substances (including acetaldehyde, dimethylamine, pentanoic acid and octanoic acid). Based on the measurements performed, the most advantageous material that traps odorants is a natural material-clinoptilolite. Depending on the faction, its ability varies for different compounds. In the case of acetaldehyde, an effective material is clinoptilolite with a grain size of up to 2 mm. In the case of carboxylic acids, it is material after hierarchization with a fraction of 3-4 mm. In the case of theoretical calculations, information was obtained to show that metallic centers are more stable above oxygen, which is associated with the skeletal aluminum in clinoptilolite.

Theory guided engineering of zeolite adsorbents for acaricide residue adsorption from the environment.

Zeolites have attracted attention for their potential in adsorbing environmental contaminants. However, contaminants, such as acaricides used extensively in livestock production to control ticks and mites, have received limited exploration regarding their adsorption onto zeolite surfaces. This study aimed to identify the most appropriate zeolite frameworks for the adsorption of acaricide residues, deduce the mechanism underlying the adsorption process, and evaluate the impact of surface modification on the adsorption capabilities of zeolites. Grand Canonical Monte Carlo (GCMC) was used to screen the entire zeolite database to analyze their adsorption properties, where the cloverite zeolite framework (CLO) exhibits the highest adsorption capacity (percentage weight, 54%). Machine learning was employed to rank structural feature importance on adsorption. Density and helium void fraction appeared to be the most important structural features. Thus, engineering these features is of utmost significance in harvesting the desired acaricides. The second step involved engineering the structural and electronic properties of the shortlisted zeolite frameworks via cation substitution with suitable atoms. DFT calculations involving natural bond orbital (NBO) analysis and quantum theory of atoms in molecules (QTAIM) have been done to understand the influence of cation substitution on the electronic structure.

Study on adsorption and purification materials for ethylene in cold storage

In view of the lack of systematic quantitative and comparative studies on the purification effect of ethylene adsorbent in cold storage, starting from the selection of purification materials, this paper analyzed the purification effect of different zeolite materials on ethylene through a small test chamber, and screened out the best zeolite adsorbents used in self-made purification device. Combined with characterization analysis, purification efficiency evaluation and adsorption capacity of zeolite material, the removal performance of ethylene was investigated. The results showed that the zeolite samples with rough and porous surface showed better adsorption performance for ethylene. The larger the specific surface area and total pore volume, the stronger the adsorption capacity to ethylene. In addition, the presence of Na elements and mesoporous increased the exchange capacity and pore volume, which also played a certain role in the ethylene adsorption process. Experimental result demonstrates that clean air volume (CADR) of ethylene is 232 m3/h, the ethylene removal rate at 30 min is 98.19%, and the purification energy efficiency is 1.39. At the same time, the adsorption capacity of the selected zeolite sample is 1380.5 μg/g by dynamic adsorption experiment, and the service life of the filter element of the self-made purification device is estimated to be 166 days. This study can provide a theoretical basis for ethylene purification in cold storage.

Adsorption studies on synthetic lentil-like mordenite for column and batch removal of cadmium and lead ions: investigating isotherms and kinetics

ABSTRACT The mordenite zeolite adsorbent, with a lentil-like structure, was synthesised using a one-step green hydrothermal method. Its textural, structural, and morphological properties were characterised through X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy-dispersive X-ray (EDX) analysis, and the Brunauer-Emmet-Teller (BET) method. The prepared adsorbent was employed in both continuous and batch adsorption processes to remove toxic Cd(II) and Pb(II) metal ions from aqueous solutions. Operational parameters such as flow rate, initial concentration, and bed height were varied to understand breakthrough time, mass transfer zone, adsorption capacity, and exhaustion time during continuous adsorption, which were investigated and optimised. Additionally, the study explored the influence of solid/liquid ratio, pH, assay time, and initial concentration on batch adsorption. The maximum adsorption capacities of the lentil-like mordenite zeolite in fixed-bed breakthrough experiments were determined to be 78.22 mg/g for Cd (II) ions and 80.82 mg/g for Pb (II) ions. In batch experiments, the capacities were 133.64 mg/g for Cd (II) ions and 239.57 mg/g for Pb (II) ions. Dynamic continuous adsorption isotherms exhibited an excellent fit with the Thomas and Yoon – Nelson models, while batch adsorption isotherms conformed well to the Langmuir model. This study presents a new approach for synthesising high surface area, engineered morphology, reusable, and stable zeolite for effectively adsorbing hard metal ions from wastewaters, contributing to environmental remediation.