Characterization of the porous structure of two naturally occurring materials through N-2-adsorption (77 K) and gas chromatographic methods

The method of adsorption of N-2 (77 K) and hydrocarbon C-6 (295 K) has been used to study the porous structure of two Mexican natural adsorbents: ANAV E and ZAPS. It was established that ANAVE is a mesoporous adsorbent, and ZA PS is essentially microporous with approximate to 85% of micropore contents . The micropore Volume (Dubinin) coincides with the capacity of Langmuir mo nolayers. The microporous structure also was characterized by t-method, "fi lm surface area method", and chromatographic separation tests of the atmosp heric air and the mixture of n-hexane, cyclohexane and benzene. It was esta blished (XRD) that the principal crystalline phase in ZAPS corresponds to t he erionite and that this natural adsorbent can be applied in processes of great practical interest, such as the separation of n-paraffin from cyclic and aromatic hydrocarbons. The sample ANAVE is a non-crystalline material ( XRD). (C) 2001 Published by Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.