Porous and hybrid clay based materials for separation of hydrocarbons

In this work the properties of porous materials prepared from clays, for the separation of binary mixtures of hydrocarbons, were studied. The samples were representative of two main groups of porous solids prepared from clays: Pillared Interlayered Clays (PILCs) with pillars of aluminum or zirconium oxide, and Porous Clays Heterostructures, with silica walls or functionalized. The hydrocarbons to be separated were in the range of six to eight carbon atoms, including aromatics. Since PILCs have narrower pores than PCHs, the effects of the molecular structure of the molecules to be separated are more relevant in the former materials. In the case of PCHs, the interaction with silanol or organic groups is key for their selective adsorption properties.

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► Hydrocarbons are selectively separated in PILCs and PCHs.
► Zr PILCs and non-functionalized PCH separate better aromatic/non-aromatic.
► PILCs can separate mixtures of n-hexane with 3-methylpentane or cyclo-hexane.
► Adsorption of aromatics on PCHs seems to be dependent of ESP of surface and adsorbate.