SEPARATION OF HEXANE ISOMERS ON ZEOLITES MORDENITE AND ZEOLITE-BETA

A gas chromatographic technique has been used to study the separation properties of mordenite and beta zeolites towards 3-methylpentane and 2,3-dimethylbutane at elevated temperatures (300-350 degrees C). Morde nite(Na, K) and beta(H, Ba) were found to be successful at separating these two hexane isomers. To establish the cause for the obtained sepa ration of the hexane isomers, the heats of adsorption and the diffusio n coefficients of the hexane isomers on the modified zeolites were stu died using pulse gas chromatography. The results showed that the separ ation of 2,3-dimethylbutane and 3-methylpentane on mordenite(Na, K) an d beta(H, Ba) zeolites is based on differences in the heats of adsorpt ion of these two hexane isomers on the above-mentioned zeolites and th at it is also diffusion controlled.