What is the difference between zeolite and molecular sieve

    One of the common molecular sieves is called zeolite molecular sieve. Is this zeolite different from molecular sieve? What is the difference between them?

    Both zeolites and molecular sieves are aluminosilicates that are rich in water, K, Na, Ca, Ba. The chemical composition is the same. The structure is also similar, small glass beads can be explosion-proof boiling it is the use of the bubble on the wall, not zeolite.

    In fact, their main difference is that in their use, zeolites are generally natural, with different pore sizes, so long as there are empty bubbles, they can prevent bumping. The function of molecular sieves is much more advanced, such as the selection of molecules, catalysts, slow release catalysts, etc., and therefore there are certain requirements for the pore size, which is often artificially synthesized. Sometimes natural zeolites can also be used as molecular sieves.

    The zeolite molecular sieve is a crystalline hydrate of metal aluminosilicate. It has two characteristics: 1. The Lewis center on the surface is very polar; 2. The size of the cage or channel in the zeolite is small, making the gravitational field in it. Very strong. Therefore, its adsorption capacity for adsorbate molecules far exceeds that of other types of adsorbents. Even if the partial pressure (or concentration) of the adsorbate is very low, the amount of adsorption is still considerable. The adsorption and separation effect of zeolite molecular sieves is not only related to the size and shape of adsorbate molecules, but also related to its polarity. Therefore, zeolite molecular sieves can also be used for the separation of similarly sized substances.