The physicochemical similarities of hydrogen isotopes have made their separation a challenging task. Conventional methods such as cryogenic distillation, Girdler sulfide process, chromatography, and thermal cycling absorption have low separation factors and are energy-intensive. To overcome these limitations, research has focused on kinetic quantum sieving (KQS) and chemical affinity quantum sieving (CAQS) effects for selective separation of hydrogen isotopes. Porous materials such as metal-organic frameworks (MOF), covalent organic frameworks (COF), zeolites, carbon, and organic cages have been studied for hydrogen separation. In this study, we focus the enhancement for CAQS to provide the cations due to the chemical affinity between hydrogen isotope and unsaturated sites by cations in zeolite beads. Cation exchanged zeolite beads was synthesized with cobalt, copper, nickel, iron and silver in zeolite 4A beads. Synthesized cation exchanged zeolite was analyzed for the surface area and pore size in N2 and adsorption behaviors of hydrogen isotopes (D2/H2) for various cation exchanged zeolite beads using BET at 77 K. The study predicts the D2/H2 adsorption selectivity based on the results obtained with BET. These hydrogen isotope adsorption results will provide a foundation for future processes for tritium separation.

분리층 두께가 5 μm이며 Si/Al 몰비가 1.5인 Na형 faujasite 제올라이트 분리막을 이차성장 공정에 의하여 제조하였고, 투과부에 13X 제올라이트 흡착제 충진 전후의 진공모드에서의 CO2/N2 분리거동을 CO2/N2 몰비가 1인 혼합기체에 대하여 30℃에서 평가하였다. 충진된 13X 제올라이트 흡착제는 CO2 투과도와 CO2/N2 선택도를 동시에 증진시켰다. 이 현상은 13X 제올라이트 흡착제 충진이 다공성 α-알루미나 지지체의 기공채널을 통한 CO2 탈출을 증진시킴으로써 faujasite 제올라이트/α-알루미나 상계면에서의 CO2 탈착을 증진시켰기 때문으로 설명되었다. 본 논문으로부터 흡착제와 분리막의 혼성화는 일반적으로 보여지는 선택도와 투과도의 역비례 관계를 획기적으로 개선할 방법임이 확인되었다.

Zeolite (FZ) prepared using coal fly ash from an Ulsan industrial complex was immobilized with polysulfone (PS) to fabricate PS-FZ beads. The prepared PS-FZ beads were characterized by scanning electron microscopy and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The optimum ratio for preparing PS-FZ beads was 1 g of PS to 2 g of FZ. The removal efficiencies of Sr and Cu ions by the PS-FZ beads increased as the solution pH increased and nearly reached a plateau at pH 4. A pseudo-second-order model morel fit the adsorption kinetics of both ions by the PS-FZ beads better than a pseudo-first-order model. The Langmuir isotherm model fit the equilibrium data well. The maximum adsorption capacities calculated from the Langmuir isotherm model were 46.73 mg/g and 62.54 mg/g for the Sr and Cu ions, respectively. Additionally, the values of thermodynamic parameters such as free energy (ΔG˚), enthalpy (ΔH˚) and entropy (ΔS˚) were determined. The results implied that the prepared PS-FZ beads could be interesting an alternative material for Sr and Cu ion removal.

Zeolite (FZ), prepared from fly ash, was immobilized with polyacrylonitrile (PAN) to fabricate PAN/FZ beads. The prepared PAN/FZ beads were characterized by scanning electron microscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The optimum ratio to prepare PAN/FZ beads was 0.3 g of PAN to 0.3 g of FZ. The diameter of the prepared PAN/FZ beads was about 3 mm. Sr and Cu ion adsorption experiments were conducted with PAN/FZ beads. A pseudo-second-order model fit the kinetic data for Sr and Cu ion adsorption by PAN/FZ beads well. The equilibrium data fitted well with the Langmuir isotherm model, and the maximum adsorption capacities were 96.5 mg/g and 74.6 mg/g for the Sr and Cu ions, respectively. Additionally, the values of thermodynamic parameters such as Gibbs free energy (ΔGo), enthalpy (ΔHo) and entropy (ΔSo) were determined. The positive values of ΔHo revealed the endothermic nature of the adsorption process and the negative values of ΔGo were indicative of the spontaneity of the adsorption process.

The removal of Sr ion and Cs ion was investigated to evaluate adsorption properties by using SAN-Zeolite beads immobilized with styrene acrylonitrile (SAN). The adsorption capacities increased with the decrease of SAN/zeolite ratio (SAR) from 2.5 to 0.83. The relationship of adsorption capacity (qe) and SAR was described by experimental equation such as qe=20.88＋137.81e-1.96SAR (r2=0.9980). The adsorption kinetics of Sr ion and Cs ion with SAN-Zeolite beads were fitted well by the pseudo-second-order model. The maximum adsorption capacities of Sr ion and Cs ion calculated from Langmuir isotherm model were 66.97 mg/g and 81.97 mg/g, respectively.