Molecular Sieve Desiccant

Molecular sieves are desiccants with differing properties to those of silica gel. With the appearance of small opaque pinkish beads, molecular sieves are synthetically produced, highly porous crystalline metal-alumino silicates. They have many internal cavities that are linked by window openings of precise diameters. It is these diameters (measured in Ångstroms) that classify molecular sieves - 3A, 4A, 5A, and 10A (also known as 13X). Adsorption occurs only of molecules with smaller diameters than these cavity openings. Larger molecules will be excluded from adsorption. Preferentially adsorbed are molecules of greater polarity. This makes molecular sieves ideal for adsorption of water from air and liquids, as water molecules are both polar and very small.

Molecular sieves are also utilized in the petroleum industry, especially for the purification of gas streams and in the chemistry laboratory for separating compounds and drying reaction starting materials.

Molecular sieves properties as desiccants differ from silica gel in a number of ways

1. They adsorb water vapour more rapidly than silica gel.
2. They will reduce water vapour to much lower levels than silica gel, making their use essential when a very dry product or atmosphere is required.
3. They perform more effectively as moisture adsorbers at higher temperatures (greater than 25°C) than silica gel does.

We can product the following molecular sieve products: 3A, 4A, 5A, and 13X molecular sieve.

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