Controlling the zeolite pore interior for chemo-selective alkyne/olefin separations
Tuesday, June 9, 2020 - 08:40
in Physics & Chemistry
Organic chemists aim to separate alkenes such as ethylene and propene from alkynes before converting them into polymers. The technique has several drawbacks including hydrogenation of alkynes to produce unwanted alkanes, which has spurred an interest in other methods of separation. Zeolites, also known as molecular sieves, are crystalline solids made of silicon, aluminium and oxygen to retain cations, water and/or small molecules. However, most molecules cannot be efficiently separated with zeolites due to their size and volatilities. Researchers aim to efficiently remove alkyne impurities to produce polymer-grade lower olefins (unsaturated hydrocarbons), which remains challenging for many industries.