Adsorption of normal and branched paraffins in faujasite zeolites NaY, HY, Pt/NaY and USY

The effect of chain length and branching of paraffins (from C6 to C12) on adsorption and diffusion in zeolites NaY, Pt/NaY, HY and USY has been investigated using the chromatographic method at 275–400°C. The Henry constants of the paraffins increase exponentially with the chain length (with a factor two per extra carbon group), the heats of adsorption increase with circa 7 kJ/mol per extra carbon group. Multicomponent sorption experiments reveal that longer chains are adsorbed preferentially over shorter chains, even at higher loadings. The multicomponent adsorption can be reasonably well described by an extended Langmuir adsorption isotherm, in which the stronger adsorption of the longer chains is reflected by their higher Henry constants. The molecular shape and zeolite type within this FAU group has only a small influence on the adsorption properties. Mass transfer in the pellets as used in catalytic conditions seems to be limited by macropore diffusion, rather than by micropore diffusion, which cannot be measured with the chromatographic method. Increasing the Si/Al-ratio of the zeolite reduces the adsorption capacity, but does not influence the relative adsorption properties.