The advantages of molecular sieve over activated alumina in natural gas applications

Molecular sieve is a synthetic hydrated aluminosilicate material with the function of screening molecules. It has a uniform pore size, can absorb molecules smaller than its pore size, and has a wide range of applications in oil and gas and air drying.

In the production process of LNG, molecular sieves are an indispensable raw material. Generally, liquefied natural gas is liquefied from natural gas after purification processes such as deacidification and dehydration. So why do most natural gas companies use molecular sieves for dehydration and purification? What are their advantages over activated alumina? Below we summarize the advantages of molecular sieves over live aluminum.

First of all, molecular sieves have strong selective adsorption, allowing only molecules with a diameter smaller than its pore size to enter, while activated alumina has the characteristic of uneven pore size. Secondly, molecular sieves have high-efficiency adsorption capacity. During the adsorption process, the relative humidity of natural gas gradually decreases as the adsorption progresses. Only molecular sieves remain stable and have a high equilibrium adsorption capacity, so molecular sieves are often used for deep dehydration. Finally, molecular sieve has a long service life. Because of its selective adsorption, molecular sieve can avoid the deactivation of adsorbent due to co-adsorption of heavy hydrocarbons