Clinoptilolite, a natural zeolite material: Structural characterization and performance evaluation on its dehydration properties of hydrocarbon-based fuels

• Natural zeolite material was tested as fuel dehydration agent.
• The effect of the clinoptilolite particle size on H2O adsorption uptake was investigated.
• A structural characterization of a natural zeolite material took place by using various techniques.
• The maximum water/vapour adsorption amount was measured equal to 8 mmol/g.

Water removal from diesel, jet fuel and diesel/biodiesel blends was investigated using a highly crystalline natural zeolite, from the region of Eastern Macedonia and Thrace, Greece, as dehydration agent. For the evaluation of the zeolite performance an amount of 0.5% w/v of the material was mixed with the fuel for 2 h and then removed. Afterwards the water concentration was measured and compared with the initial value. Other than water concentration, properties such as fuel density, kinematic viscosity, conductivity, flash point temperature and heat of combustion were measured before and after the dehydration process. By using this methodology the physicochemical properties of the studied fuels were improved. Specifically, in diesel fuel the water concentration and conductivity were reduced up to ∼32% and up to 14% respectively, while the heat of combustion found not to be affected. Furthermore, a complete physicochemical characterization of the raw clinoptilolite material performed. In particular various techniques such as Energy Dispersive X-ray Fluorescence (EDXRF), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X–ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), nitrogen adsorption at 77 K and water adsorption isotherms were used in order to evaluate the surface and structural characteristics.

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