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3A Zeolite molecular sieve
Specially manufactured 3A Zeolite molecular sieve beads with excellent resistance to biodiesel and standard process chemicals. These synthetic beads have 3 Angstrom (0.3 nanometre) pores within their molecular structure. The pores are sufficiently large to accomodate water molecules, but too small to accomodate larger molecules such as methanol, ethanol and biodiesel.
Will adsorb water from biodiesel, methanol and ethanol (as well as many other compounds) to desiccate to near absolute dryness.
This Zeolite will hold 18% of its dry weight in water and can be regenerated - typically over 50 times. To regenerate the bed of zeolite beads it is thoroughly flushed with water and then heated to 450°C. THE ZEOLITE MUST NOT EXCEED 550°C AS THIS WILL DENATURE AND DESTROY THE PRODUCT. Once the entire zeolite bed reaches 450°C it is allowed to cool. Once it has returned to normal temperature it can be reused.
Applications
Drying biodiesel - After water washing and then mechanical separation of water from biodiesel, the fuel is often over 1000ppm water, and falls well outside acceptable specifications. By passing biodiesel through a 3A Zeolite bed at this stage, biodiesel can be effectively dried. Long contact times can desiccate the biodiesel to near absolute dryness, but even relatively short contact times can dry biodiesel to less than 200ppm
Methanol recovery - methanol that has been recovered by evaporation will contain too much water to re-use. 3A Zeolite can be used to dry to near absolute dryness
Production of anhydrous ethanol - even after multiple fractional distillation steps, ethanol is likely to contain too much water for acceptable use as a biofuel. 3A Zeolite can be used to dry to near absolute dryness
Please note, other forms of Zeolite are available. We currently have large stocks of 4A Zeolite for specialist applications.
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