CHROMATOGRAPHIC STUDY OF THE DIFFUSION OF N2,CH4 AND BINARY CH4-N2 MIXTURES IN 4A MOLECULAR-SIEVE

The kinetics and equilibrium of sorption of CH4, N2 and binary CH4–N2 mixtures in 4A molecular sieve have been studied by a chromatographic method. The equilibrium isotherms and zeolitic diffusivities, determined with a helium carrier, show good agreement with previous gravimetric data. Counter‐diffusion in the binary adsorbed phase was investigated using a mixed carrier gas and following the response to a small step change from a previously established equilibrium position. The dynamic response curves for the binary system could be satisfactorily interpreted on the assumption that both components in the mixture diffuse independently with the same intrinsic mobilities as for the single component systems. Copyright © 1979 Canadian Society for Chemical Engineering