A few days ago, we received an inquiry from a US customer: "Hello, we are looking for a high-performance activated alumina desiccant for the air precooling and purification system of a newly built large air separation unit. This product will be mainly used to fill the lower layer of the molecular sieve adsorber.
Our specific needs and operating conditions are as follows:
Equipment: Large-scale air separation unit with a very high air volume processing capacity.
Location: Lower layer of the adsorber, located below the zeolite molecular sieve.
Activated alumina needs to efficiently dehydrate the saturated humid air from the air compressor to ensure its dew point meets the stringent requirements of the molecular sieve feed. It also needs to effectively remove liquid water droplets and corrosive acidic substances from the air, preventing them from directly impacting and poisoning the expensive molecular sieve above, thereby extending the service life of the entire adsorbent bed.
Does your company have an activated alumina desiccant product specifically designed for air separation units that can meet our demanding operating conditions?”
The following are some data points for activated alumina specifically designed for air separation equipment at Zibo Xiangrun:
Frequent pressurization and depressurization cycles of the adsorber place a significant strain on its strength. Zibo Xiangrun products excel in this regard:
Extremely high compressive strength: As shown in the data, for the commonly used Φ4-6mm specification in air separation equipment, its crushing strength reaches ≥230 N/particle. This means that each sphere can withstand approximately 23.5 kg of force without breaking, sufficient to withstand repeated impacts from high-speed airflow, fundamentally preventing the problem of increased bed pressure drop caused by particle breakage.
Extremely low wear rate: The product's wear loss is ≤0.06%. This ultra-low value ensures that during long-term operation, friction between particles and between particles and the adsorbent wall generates almost no dust, ensuring unobstructed equipment pipelines and extending the unit's operating cycle. Furthermore, under standard testing conditions (25°C, 50% relative humidity), the product's static adsorption capacity is ≥18 Wt%. Strong water absorption capacity.
The product not only adsorbs gaseous water, but its robust granular structure and stable chemical properties also enable it to effectively withstand the instantaneous impact of liquid water droplets without disintegrating.
Activated alumina itself has a certain affinity for acidic substances (such as HCl and SO₂), allowing it to pre-adsorb these corrosive gases, effectively protecting the expensive, acid-sensitive zeolite molecular sieves above, thus extending the service life of the entire adsorbent bed.
Therefore, Zibo Xiangrun's activated alumina fully meets all the stringent requirements of large-scale air separation units in terms of high strength, low wear, deep drying, and pre-protection. Its superior physical strength and chemical stability make it an ideal choice for protecting the upper molecular sieves and ensuring the stable and efficient operation of the entire air separation system.
If you have any questions or needs regarding activated alumina desiccants, please contact Zibo Xiangrun Environmental Protection Co., Ltd.—a professional alumina manufacturer.
