Assessment of H2O Adsorption Characteristics Based on Zeolite Type

The properties and H2O adsorption characteristics of two types of zeolites (3A and 13X) with the same shape but different element composition were identified. These zeolites are used in gas purification processes to manufacture 9N ultra-pure inert gases for semiconductor process applications. To analyze the shape and microstructure of the zeolites, an optical microscope and FE-SEM were used. EDS, micro-Raman, and XRD analysis were conducted to analyze their compositions and properties. BET analysis was performed to identify their specific surface areas. Finally, a breakthrough analysis was conducted at room temperature. Based on the results of the optical and microstructure analyses, the cylindrical shaped 3A and 13X were determined to be composed of 2.5-um polyhedrons and 1.4-um massive shapes, respectively. The results of the compositional analysis showed that the main components of both zeolites were Si and Al, whereas K and Na existed in 3A and 13X, respectively. The results of the specific surface area analysis demonstrated that the surface area of 13X was 32 times larger than that of 3A. Specifically, the total specific surface areas were 22.42 and 720.33 m2/g for 3A and 13X, respectively. The results of the H2O adsorption characteristic analysis showed that the H2O concentration of 13X was 1.33 times higher than that of 3A. Therefore, with respect to using zeolite for gas purification process applications, 13X might be more suitable to achieve excellent specific surface area and remarkable H2O adsorption.