Zeolites used in the manufacture of oxygen
Recently 35 tons of zeolites used in oxygen production plants has been brought from Italy’s capital Rome to Bengaluru by Air India.
It has been imported by the Defense Research and Development Organization (DRDO) to manufacture oxygen for the treatment of COVID-19 patients, as zeolite is used in Pressure Swing Adsorption oxygen plants.
What are Zeolites?
- Zeolite is an aluminumosilicate mineral. These are fine-grained substances that are used as adsorbents and catalysts.
- It is a kind of ‘Molecular sieve’ which consists of crystalline solid structures made of silicon, aluminum and oxygen.
- It accommodates cations such as K+, Na +, Ca2+, Mg 2+. When zeolite minerals come into contact with a solution, they exchange their cations with other ions in the solution.
- Zeolite minerals are mainly found in the form of stilbite, phillipsite, natrolite, heulandites, chabzite, etc.
Natural Zeolites
- In India, the deposits of these minerals are found in the palace hills, Girnar mountain Kathiawar and in the southern trap. Its structure is similar to that of a beehive. It is also used in petrochemical industries and medicine.
- The natural form of zeolite is formed by volcanic rocks reacting with alkaline groundwater. It crystallizes in the marine basin for years.
- Naturally found zeolites are not pure, they contain adulteration of other minerals such as quartz, due to which they are excluded from commercial applications.
Artificial Zeolite
- Zeolite is formed by the slow crystallization process of silica-alumina jelly. It absorbs a large amount of water, so on rapid heating it releases a large amount of water in the form of steam.
Uses
- It is mainly used in commercial water purification. In addition, it is also used as adsorbents and catalysts.
- It is also used as a catalyst in cracking and isomerisation of hydrocarbons in petroleum industries.
Zeolites in Oxygen Production
- Zeolites are used in oxygen concentrators to absorb atmospheric nitrogen. In this process, nitrogen is first absorbed by it and then expels nitrogen.
- In this process, up to 5 percent argon gas is produced with highly pure oxygen,which is then taken apart. After this, only oxygen gas remains for the use of patients.
- In fact, under high pressure, the surface area of zeolites increases, enabling it to absorb large amounts of nitrogen.
Source – The Hindu
