A new zeolite for manufacturing pure ethylene

What is it about?

Ethylene is an extremely useful chemical and currently the most consumed organic compound in the world. Its production was more than 200 million tons in 2021. Carbon dioxide and ethyne are released as byproducts during its manufacturing. These two substances need to be removed to get pure ethylene. The purification technique currently used to achieve this is a two step process. In this, ethyne is separated first followed by carbon dioxide. But they require a lot of energy and are extremely harmful to the environment. In this study, the authors propose the use of a porous material called “K MOR” to separate ethyne and carbon dioxide from ethylene. K MOR is a mordenite, a zeolite with specific distribution of potassium (K) ions. They act as goalkeepers of diffusion channels. The authors show K MOR to be effective in trapping ethyne and carbon dioxide in its pores.

Featured Image

Photo by Crystal Kwok on Unsplash

Photo by Crystal Kwok on Unsplash

Why is it important?

K MOR is highly stable and cost effective. It works better than MORs with other metals in capturing ethyne and carbon dioxide to produce pure, industry grade ethylene. In addition, K MOR does not need to be heated to extremely high temperatures to release ethyne later. It can capture both chemicals in a single step, which makes it simple to use as well. Notably, industries may have hot and humid conditions during ethylene production. The authors show that K MOR shows promising results despite these conditions. KEY TAKEAWAY: The use of K MOR can reduce the energy footprint of ethylene manufacturing. This will make the process greener and more sustainable. The present study can also facilitate the efficient capture of carbon dioxide. This could help us achieve our carbon neutrality goals. This research relates to the following Sustainable Development Goals: • SDG 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure • SDG 7: Affordable and Clean Energy • SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production • SDG 13: Climate Action