The applications of zeolite(1)

Petroleum and chemical industry

Zeolites can be used as catalysts and their carriers. Catalysts with zeolites as the basic raw material are used in a wide range of applications, mainly in the following fields.

Used as cracking catalyst, hydraulic catalyst and hydrocracking in petroleum refining process.

Used as isomerization, reforming, alkylation, disproportionation and transalkylation in petrochemicals.

Use of plagioclase zeolite as a catalyst for isomerization of cycloethanol to carboxymethyl pentane in the environmental protection industry.

hydrogenation and dewaxing of hydrocarbons in H2S atmosphere, etc.

using gross zeolite treated with group IIB metal ions (zinc, etc.) exchange as catalyst to desulfurize petroleum and increase octane number using HCl-treated mercerized zeolites as catalysts to promote isomerization of n-butane. Filamentous zeolite exchanged with NH4+ has high decomposition activity for isopropylbenzene. H-type mercerized zeolite can be used directly as polymerization agent of polymer monomer.

In addition, zeolite can be used as desiccant, adsorbent and gas separator in petrochemical field, such as

The desiccant and adsorbent made of natural zeolite can selectively absorb HCl, H2S, Cl2, CO, CO2 and chloromethane, etc. It can separate H2O, CO2 and SO2 in natural gas to improve the quality of natural gas, separate O2 and N2 in air to produce oxygen-rich gas and nitrogen, and also remove trace N2 in other useful gases. 

Using the adsorption property of zeolite, it can also recover ammonia from the waste gas of ammonia synthesis plant; adsorb H2S from the waste gas of sulfuric acid plant, etc.

Using the ion exchange property of zeolite, potassium can be extracted from seawater by Na+ and K+ ion replacement method. Among them, plagioclase zeolite has special selective exchange properties for potassium, and the ion exchange capacity of plagioclase zeolite can be further increased by reforming it into Na-type zeolite with saturated NaCl solution at 100℃, thus improving the effect of potassium extraction.

Water treatment

Wastewater contains Hg2+, Cd2+, Pb2+, Zn2+, Cu2+, Ni2+, Cr3+, As3+ and other heavy metal cations and organic pollutants, plagioclase and filamentous zeolite are used as purification materials because of their strong adsorption effect on these impurities, and zeolite can also purify NH3-N, H2PO42-, HPO42-, PO43-, etc. in wastewater, as well as the ammonia nitrogen NH3-N in wastewater. It can also purify NH3-N, H2PO42-, HPO42-, PO43- and other harmful impurities in wastewater, such as ammonia nitrogen NH3-N. The ion exchange effect of zeolites is also used to recover certain metals from industrial wastewater.

Zeolites can also be used to improve water quality. Natural zeolites can adsorb cations from hard water, softening the water. For example, the drinking water of Xisha Islands is treated with local volcanic breccia containing zeolite, which excludes more organic matter, reduces the mineralization, reduces the ammonia ion and nitrate, and becomes the standard drinking water; plagioclase zeolite for ion exchange adsorbent, by the regeneration of potassium aluminum sulfate series treatment, can reduce the fluorine content of high fluoride water, and make it reach the drinking water standard; in addition, the zeolite with silver exchange can desalinate seawater.