N-Paraffins adsorption with 5A zeolites: The effect of binder on adsorption equilibria

The effect of binder on adsorption equilibria of n-paraffins on 5A zeolite was investigated. Some differences in adsorption properties were found between binderless 5A zeolite and 5A zeolite with binder. Compared with binderless zeolite, 5A zeolite with binder showed lower adsorption capacities, larger coalescing factors of characteristic curves, and lower heats of adsorption for n-paraffins. The adsorption amounts comparison and scanning electron microscopes (SEM) analysis indicated that the influence of binder on adsorption capacities of n-paraffins on 5A zeolite adsorbent could be ascribed to the dilution and blocking effects which were brought to zeolite crystals by binder. The binder may change the polar interactions between adsorbates and adsorbent therefore affects the characteristic curves. A decrease in heats of adsorption is mainly due to the adsorption of some adsorbate molecules on the surface of the binder.