Sorption of HCl from an Aromatic Hydrocarbon Mixture Using Modified Molecular Sieve Zeolite 13X

In this study, the removal of chlorides, especially HCl, from an aromatic hydrocarbon mixture composed of benzene, toluene, xylenes, and ethylbenzene has been studied. Molecular sieve zeolite 13X as such and exchanged with different amounts of alkali and alkaline earth metal ions has been used as an adsorbent. Different techniques like inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectroscopy, X-ray powder diffraction, N₂ adsorption-desorption for Brunauer-Emmett-Teller surface area and pore volume, and scanning electron microscopy were utilized to analyze all of the adsorbents. The effect of varying concentrations of alkali and alkaline earth metal cations and process parameters like temperature and flow rate on the removal of HCl has been studied by performing the adsorption breakthrough experiment. The main objective of this study is to determine the precise concentration of exchangeable ions and the optimum temperature, pressure, and feed flow rate at which the adsorbent exhibits the highest capacity toward the sorption of chloride species from an aromatic hydrocarbon stream. The maximum chloride sorption capacity was observed at T = 100 °C, P = 35 kg/cm², and a liquid hourly space velocity (flow rate) of 2 h^-1 when the molecular sieve zeolite 13X (NaX) exchanged with 0.6 wt % Ca²⁺ and 1 wt % Mg²⁺ cations was used as an adsorbent.