CO2 Sorption on Natural Zeolites from Mexico

The global warming that society faces today is mainly caused by the emission of greenhouse gases such as CO2 in the atmosphere. A wide research effort has been devoted to solve this problem, suggesting a possible solution based on the adsorption or storage of this gas in porous materials. The microporous materials such as zeolites are revealed to be good candidates for industrial application. Different studies of adsorption indicate that the CO2 is adsorbed selectively by a great variety of synthetic zeolite, suggesting that this type of materials can play a crucial paper in the technologies to capture CO2. In particular, recent studies have demonstrated selective adsorption of the CO2 regarding the H2 and N2 in 13X and 4A zeolites showing that these zeolites adsorb selectively the CO2 at room temperature [1]. However, natural zeolites has been used selectively as potential adsorbents for adsorb this gas under similar conditions to those reported when synthetic zeolite are used, concrete cases are those reported using natural zeolites ERI [2]. Other authors have carried out adsorption studies on natural zeolites contemplating non polar molecules (Ar), and quadrupolar moment (CO2) considering the contributions to gas-sorbent interaction potential [3].

Here we report our continuing research using static of CO2 adsorption on a set erionite, natural and exchanged, at room temperature and -15 C, as well as CO2 adsorption on a set clinoptilolite, natural and exchanged, at same temperatures. The surface area, micro- and mesopores volumes, and pore sizes of all zeolites were characterized by N2 high resolution adsorption.

References

1. Siriwardane, R. V.; Shen, M.-S.; Fisher, E. P.; Poston, J. A. Energy Fuels 2001, 15, 279.

2. Hernandez, R.; Dýaz, L.; Aguilar, G. G. Sep. Purif. Technol. 1999, 15, 163-173.

3. Hernandez, M. A., Rojas, F. J. of Porous Materials 2000, 7, 443-454.