Sorption kinetics: measurement of surface resistance

Adsorption - The problem of measuring sorption kinetics in microporous adsorbents and distinguishing experimentally between surface resistance and internal diffusion is discussed and reviewed with...     

Short Communication: Diffusion of Simple Molecules in 4A Zeolite

Recently reported diffusivity data for N₂, CH₄ and Kr in 4A zeolite pelleted adsorbent are compared with earlier data for the same sorbates in several different 4A samples. It is shown that, although there are large differences in diffusivity between the different adsorbent samples the activation energies are essentially constant. The data can be reconciled if it is assumed that the samples contain different fractions of open windows as a result of non-ideal distribution of the Na⁺ cations.     

The nature of surface barriers on nanoporous solids explored by microimaging of transient guest distributions

Nanoporous solids are attractive materials for energetically efficient and environmentally friendly catalytic and adsorption separation processes. Although the performance of such materials is largely dependent on their molecular transport properties, our fundamental understanding of these phenomena is far from complete. This is particularly true for the mechanisms that control the penetration rate through the outer surface of these materials (commonly referred to as surface barriers). Recent detailed sorption rate measurements with Zn(tbip) crystals have greatly enhanced our basic understanding of such processes. Surface resistance in this material has been shown to arise from the complete blockage of most of the pore entrances on the outer surface, while the transport resistance of the remaining open pores is negligibly small. More generally, the revealed correlation between intracrystalline diffusion and surface permeation provides a new view of the nature of transport resistances in nanoporous materials acting in addition to the diffusion resistance of the regular pore network, leading to a rational explanation of the discrepancy which is often observed between microscopic and macroscopic diffusion measurements.     

Analysis of ZLC desorption curves for gaseous systems

The theoretical model and underlying assumptions used in the analysis of ZLC (zero length column) desorption curves are examined in detail. It is shown that the long time analysis generally yields reliable diffusivity values although, if the initial equilibrium condition is not properly established there will be significant error in the apparent equilibrium constant. The short time analysis is much more sensitive to such errors and a modified way of data analysis is suggested to overcome this problem. Varying the initial equilibration time provides an alternative ZLC experiment that can be used to establish the nature of the rate controlling mass transfer resistance. The utility of this approach is illustrated experimentally for the system C₃H₈-13X zeolite.     

Transport in Nanoporous Materials Including MOFs: The Applicability of Fick’s Laws

Diffusion in nanoporous host–guest systems is often considered to be too complicated to comply with such “simple” relationships as Fick’s first and second law of diffusion. However, it is shown herein that the microscopic techniques of diffusion measurement, notably the pulsed field gradient (PFG) technique of NMR spectroscopy and microimaging by interference microscopy (IFM) and IR microscopy (IRM), provide direct experimental evidence of the applicability of Fick’s laws to such systems. This remains true in many situations, even when the detailed mechanism is complex. The limitations of the diffusion model are also discussed with reference to the extensive literature on this subject.     

Heat Effects in ZLC Experiments

The problem of nonisothermal desorption in a zero length column (ZLC) experiment is considered theoretically. Simple analytical expressions for the ZLC desorption curve are derived for certain limiting situations in which the governing equations reduce to a linear form. More general numerical solutions are calculated for a wide range of experimental conditions assuming both negligible mass transfer resistance and finite mass transfer resistance controlled by intraparticle diffusion. A simple criterion for negligible thermal effects is developed. It is shown that when the ZLC technique is applied to the measurement of diffusion in unaggregated zeolite crystals, as originally intended, heat effects are generally insignificant. However, when applied to the measurement of macropore diffusion in relatively large adsorbent particles heat effects can become important and may cause major modification of both the desorption rate and the shape of the desorption curve. A recent experimental ZLC study carried out with commercial adsorbent particles, under conditions of macropore diffusion control, showed an anomalous dependence of the desorption rate on both temperature and particle size. These effects can be qualitatively explained by the nonisothermal model. A more precise quantitative representation of these experiments will require a more refined model incorporating a nonlinear equilibrium isotherm as well as intraparticle diffusional resistance.     

Sorption and Diffusion in Molecular Sieve Zeolites

Recent information concerning the kinetics and equilibria of sorption of various classes of molecule in four representative types of molecular sieve (4A/5A, 13X, natural erionite and H-chabazite) is reviewed. The general relationships between the crystal structure of the sieve, the molecular properties of the adsorbate (particularly the critical diameter and polar nature of the molecule) and the sorption/diffusion behaviour are emphasized.