Molecular Sieve Dryer Design
Molecular sieve technology is widely used for the simultaneous removal of water and mercaptans from both gas and liquid feed streams.
Molecular sieve dryer design. Molecular sieves are in the family of desiccants also known as adsorbents used for hydrocarbon drying are used to remove dissolved water from hydrocarbon gases and liquids. As it ages molecular sieve releases particulates that can be very damaging to downstream processes and instrumentation. Molecular sieve adsorbents are available in the following forms 3a k na zeolite a with a nominal pore opening of 3 å 0 3 nm 4a as synthesized na zeolite a with a nominal pore opening of 4 å 0 4 nm 5a ca na zeolite a with a nominal pore opening of 5 å 0 5 nm 13x na zeolite x with a nominal pore opening of 10 å 1 0 nm properties of basf molecular. The pore or cage openings are the same size as many molecules e g in the case of hydrocarbon paraffins straight chained molecules can fit into the pores and be adsorbed while the branched chain molecules cannot enter the pores and pass through the molecular sieve.
A number of parameters influence the design and operation of a molecular sieve unit. The targeted valve installation is a molecular sieve dryer valve also known as. Our molecular sieve for desiccant air dryer is a low dust. Optimal design and operation of molecular sieve gas dehydration units part 1.
In addition to these design guidelines there are additional considerations in liquid dryer design. Table 2 is a compilation of some suggested design guidelines extracted from commercial information on desiccant dryers. This information is primarily concerned with the sizing of dryer units. The operating temperature and partial pressure of an impurity along with the type of molecular sieve 3a 4a 5a 13x defines the adsorption capacity of that impurity.
Mokhatab gas processing consultant halifax nova scotia canada. As a brief overview on molecular sieve dryer. Herold contributing writer amsterdam the netherlands. Jalon molecular sieve for desiccant air dryer 4a and standard activated alumina provide the ideal combination of strength and adsorption capacity to produce reliable dry air that is reliable without causing equipment damage.
A practical example of the function of molecular sieves is to dry ethanol. A cyclical adsorption desorption system to transfer contaminants or non desired gas molecules from one stream to another. A molecular sieve is a material with pores very small holes of uniform size. Another feature of molecular sieve adsorbents is their ability to separate gases or liquids by molecular size or polarity.