Selective adsorption on magnesium-containing clinoptilolites
First Claim
1. A process for separating a first gas containing molecules having molecular dimensions equal to or smaller than nitrogen from a feed containing mixtures thereof with at least one other gas containing molecules having molecular dimensions equal to or larger than methane, which comprises contacting the feed with a clinoptilolite molecular sieve that has a magnesium cation content that is sufficient to cause the first gas to be selectively absorbed on the clinoptilolite molecular sieve, said magnesium cation content being at least about 5 equivalent percent of the ion-exchangeable cations in the clinoptilolite molecular sieve, and recovering an effluent having a reduced amount of the first gas relative to the feed.
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Abstract
Gases having molecular dimensions equal to or smaller than nitrogen are selectively adsorbed and separated from other gases having molecular dimensions equal to or larger than methane using a clinoptilolite molecular sieve that contains magnesium cations. The clinoptilolite molecular sieves of the present invention can be ion-exchanged with magnesium cations and optionally with other cations such as lithium, sodium, potassium, calcium, barium, strontium, zinc, copper, cobalt, iron and manganese to produce the desired separation characteristics. Processes are disclosed for separating gases by adsorbing at an elevated pressure and regenerating, or desorbing, by reducing the pressure. Methods for the preparation of a magnesium-exchanged clinoptilolite are disclosed.
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Citations
31 Claims
- 1. A process for separating a first gas containing molecules having molecular dimensions equal to or smaller than nitrogen from a feed containing mixtures thereof with at least one other gas containing molecules having molecular dimensions equal to or larger than methane, which comprises contacting the feed with a clinoptilolite molecular sieve that has a magnesium cation content that is sufficient to cause the first gas to be selectively absorbed on the clinoptilolite molecular sieve, said magnesium cation content being at least about 5 equivalent percent of the ion-exchangeable cations in the clinoptilolite molecular sieve, and recovering an effluent having a reduced amount of the first gas relative to the feed.
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16. A process for separating a first gas containing molecules having molecular dimension equal to or smaller than nitrogen from a feed containing mixtures thereof with at least one other gas containing molecules having molecular dimensions equal to or larger than methane by the selective adsorption of the gas, which comprises the steps of:
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(a) passing the feed to an absorber bed containing a clinoptilolite molecular sieve that has a magnesium cation content that is sufficient to cause the first gas to be selectively absorbed on the clinoptilolite molecular sieve, said mangesium cation content being at least about 5 equivalent percent of the ion-exchangeable cations in the clinoptilolite molecular sieve at conditions effective to cause the first gas to be selectively absorbed on said clinoptilolite, said conditions selected from a temperature of from about-50°
to 100°
C. and at a pressure of from about 0.2 psia to 1500 psia and recovering an effluent having a reduced amount of the first gas relative to the feed, and;(b) regenerating said absorber bed by desorbing nitrogen therefrom by decreasing the pressure in said absorber bed to below the adsorption pressure of step (a) and to within the range of 0.1 torr to 150 psia. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
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- 24. A process for the production of a modified clinoptilolite wherein at least about 5 equivalent percent of the ion-exchangeable cations in the clinoptilolite comprises magnesium cations, said process comprising subjecting a clinoptilolite to at least one ion-exchange with a solution containing any one or more of lithium, potassium, calcium, sodium, barium, strontium, zinc, copper, cobalt, iron and manganese cations, thereby producing an ion-exchanged clinoptilolite, and thereafter subjecting said ion-exchanged clinoptilolite to ion-exchange with a solution containing magnesisum cations to produce a magnesium-exchanged clinoptilolite.
Specification