Advantages of molecular sieves in air separation
Time:2025-03-30
In industrial fields such as steel smelting, medical oxygen supply, and electronic manufacturing, air separation technology is the core link to ensure stable production. As the "smart heart" of modern air separation units (ASU), molecular sieves have become the key to reduce production costs in the industry due to their selective adsorption performance. This article will divide into the four major advantages of molecular sieves and share practical application cases.
One: Four core advantages of molecular sieves in air separation
1. Precise adsorption to improve purity
The microporous structure of molecular sieves has screening ability, which can accurately adsorb water molecules, CO2, and hydrocarbons in the air, ensuring the cleanliness of the air entering the air separation unit. For example, molecular sieve 13X has an adsorption capacity of 16-18% for CO2, which can stably increase O2 purity to over 99.5%, meeting the needs of high-end industries such as medical and electronics.
2. Energy conservation and cost reduction
Traditional adsorbent activated alumina require frequent regeneration, with energy consumption accounting for up to 35% of the total cost of air separation systems. Molecular sieve, with longer adsorption cycles (usually up to 8-12 hours) and lower regeneration temperatures (20-30℃lower than activated alumina), can reduce regeneration energy consumption by 15% -25%.
3. Longer lifespan and lower maintenance costs
The compressive strength of molecular sieve can reach over 50N, and its lifetime can be as long as 3 to 5 years. Compared to traditional adsorbents, it can reduce the frequency of replacement by 50%, avoiding production losses caused by equipment shutdown.
4. Apply to multiple industrial application
From cryogenic air separation to pressure swing adsorption (PSA) and vacuum pressure swing adsorption (VPSA), molecular sieves can be customized with pore sizes (3 Å, 4 Å, 5 Å, etc.) and formulations. For example, lithium molecular sieve can increase the nitrogen adsorption capacity by 40% in VPSA oxygen production, enabling miniaturized equipment to achieve an oxygen production efficiency of over 95%.
Two、 How can molecular sieves create value for global customers?
Case 1: After purchasing our 13X APG molecular sieve upgraded air separation unit, a Middle east customer who is in oil and gas industry achieve below:
- Oxygen purity increased from 99% to 99.5%
- Regenerative energy consumption reduced by 22%
- Extended adsorbent replacement cycle to 5 years
Case 2: During the outbreak of the COVID-19, a South American customer urgently expanded its oxygen production capacity. Our company has passed:
-Deliver 20 tons of oxygen molecular sieve within 72 hours
-Provide pre-activation treatment services (use directly when open drum)
Result: Customer's daily oxygen production increased by 5 times in 3 days, saving the lives of over 20000 critically patients.
In industrial fields such as steel smelting, medical oxygen supply, and electronic manufacturing, air separation technology is the core link to ensure stable production. As the "smart heart" of modern air separation units (ASU), molecular sieves have become the key to reduce production costs in the industry due to their selective adsorption performance. This article will divide into the four major advantages of molecular sieves and share practical application cases.
One: Four core advantages of molecular sieves in air separation
1. Precise adsorption to improve purity
The microporous structure of molecular sieves has screening ability, which can accurately adsorb water molecules, CO2, and hydrocarbons in the air, ensuring the cleanliness of the air entering the air separation unit. For example, molecular sieve 13X has an adsorption capacity of 16-18% for CO2, which can stably increase O2 purity to over 99.5%, meeting the needs of high-end industries such as medical and electronics.
2. Energy conservation and cost reduction
Traditional adsorbent activated alumina require frequent regeneration, with energy consumption accounting for up to 35% of the total cost of air separation systems. Molecular sieve, with longer adsorption cycles (usually up to 8-12 hours) and lower regeneration temperatures (20-30℃lower than activated alumina), can reduce regeneration energy consumption by 15% -25%.
3. Longer lifespan and lower maintenance costs
The compressive strength of molecular sieve can reach over 50N, and its lifetime can be as long as 3 to 5 years. Compared to traditional adsorbents, it can reduce the frequency of replacement by 50%, avoiding production losses caused by equipment shutdown.
4. Apply to multiple industrial application
From cryogenic air separation to pressure swing adsorption (PSA) and vacuum pressure swing adsorption (VPSA), molecular sieves can be customized with pore sizes (3 Å, 4 Å, 5 Å, etc.) and formulations. For example, lithium molecular sieve can increase the nitrogen adsorption capacity by 40% in VPSA oxygen production, enabling miniaturized equipment to achieve an oxygen production efficiency of over 95%.
Two、 How can molecular sieves create value for global customers?
Case 1: After purchasing our 13X APG molecular sieve upgraded air separation unit, a Middle east customer who is in oil and gas industry achieve below:
- Oxygen purity increased from 99% to 99.5%
- Regenerative energy consumption reduced by 22%
- Extended adsorbent replacement cycle to 5 years
Case 2: During the outbreak of the COVID-19, a South American customer urgently expanded its oxygen production capacity. Our company has passed:
-Deliver 20 tons of oxygen molecular sieve within 72 hours
-Provide pre-activation treatment services (use directly when open drum)
Result: Customer's daily oxygen production increased by 5 times in 3 days, saving the lives of over 20000 critically patients.
