Gas Separations of Natural Zeolite by Chemical Treatments

화학처리에 의한 천연 Zeolite의 Gas 분리

In the our country, especially in Yeongil and Wolsung area, abundant authigenic zeolites are found from the tuffaceous sediments and volcanic rocks of Miocene age showing wide variation in their mineralogy and abundance from horizon to horizon. The principal zeolite species identified are clinopti-lolite. mordenite. heulandite. ferrierite, and erionite. etc. Zeolite minerals are widely used in many countries in the following applications; (a) in air separation adsorption processes; (b)as desiccants; (c)in inorganic building materials; (d)in papermaking; (e)in fertilizers; (f)as soilconditioners-this application is based upon the ability of the zeolite to ion exchange with soil nutrients; (g)in the treatment of radioactive wastes; and (h)as adsorbents for toxic gases, etc. In the present paper, using natural zeolite mordenite treated with IN hydrochloric acid or IN sodium chloride solution as column packings, separation characteristics of argon, nitrogen, carbon monoxide, and methane gases have been studied by gas chromatography. By the use of mordenite treated with hydrochloric acid solution, the tailing peak of methane showed from untreated mordenite was satisfactorily reduced, although it was difficult to separate it from carbon monoxide with a column activated at $300^{\circ}C$. Using a column activated at $350^{\circ}C$, methane could be separated from carbon monoxide easily but only carbon monoxide eluted as a bad defined peak. Mordenite treated with sodium chloride solution was generally similar to chromatograms obtained by using the untreated mordenite. Both the above chemical treatments of mordenite had little effect on the separations of argon and nitrogen. The separations and the HETP values obtained from natural zeolite mordenite treated with continuously hydrochloric acid and sodium chloride solutions were almost identical with those obtained with synthetic molecular sieve 5A zeolite. On the other hand, the efficiency of column was good in the range 20~3Oml/min of the carrier helium gas rate.

결정성 aluminosilicate 광물의 일종인 천연 zeolite는 광물학적 특성과 화학적 표면활성으로 인하여 다방면의 공업화학적 이용가치가 매우 높고 광물중 특히 가장 높은 양이온교환능을 가지고 있어 기체분자에 대한 선택적 흡착력이 큰 molecular sieve로써 흡착분리제로는 물론, 건조제, 흡습제, 이온교환체, 촉매, 증량제 그리고 폐수처리제, 경수의 연화제등으로 이용도가 날로 증가하고 있다. 국내산 천연 zeolite를 IN HCL용액과 NaCl용액으로 화학처리하여 다공성을 증가시켜 column충전제로 사용한 결과, 혼합기체 Ar, $N_2$ CO및 $CH_4$의 분리특성에 관해서 HCL용액으로 처리한 mordenite 시료는 활성화온도가 $300^{\circ}C$일 경우, CO와 $CH_4$의 분리는 곤란하나 $350^{\circ}C$에서는 분리가 용이하였고 NaCl용액으로 처리한 시료는 미처리한 것과 거의 유사하였다. Ar과 $N_2$와의 분리에는 산 또는 알칼리로 화학처리한 시료에도 별로 효과가 없었으나 HCL용액과 NaCl용액을 연속적으로 처리한 천연 zeolite는 합성 zeolite의 특성에 견줄만한 정도로 기체분리효과와 HETP값을 보여주었다. 한편 시료의 화학처리에 의한 Ar과 CO의 흡착열의 변화는 극성기체인 CO의 경우, 별로 변화가 없지만 무극성기체인 Ar은 영향을 받기가 용이하였다. 또한 carrier gas He의 유속이 대략 20~30ml min범위일때 최소의 HETP값을 가지며 column의 효능이 좋았다.