Industrial Zeolite Applications for Gas Adsorption and Separation Processes

The industrial use of zeolites for adsorptive and separative applications at a mature level has been generalized in the last decades. Thanks to the advantages associated with the usual higher reversibility of the adsorption process, improved energy efficiencies can be obtained leading to a consolidated alternative to the traditional separation techniques. In a first part, the main industrial applications and the associated zeolite adsorbents are covered. Thus, the most relevant and critical properties of zeolites for a selected application are highlighted. Afterward, based on the mentioned properties, the development and improvement of adsorbents for industrial separations is addressed. A collection of selected examples is presented to illustrate different theoretical and experimental approaches linking (in qualitatively or quantitative ways) the main properties of a given adsorbent and the industrial performances. The proposed methodologies are expected to help in the diversification of industrially available adsorbents by integrating the process perspective from the initial stages of the adsorbent development.