Methyl tertiary-butyl ether (MTBE) is a gasoline additive to increase octane ratings. MTBE is of particular concern due to its high aqueous solubility/vapour pressure and to its not readily biodegradability and potential human carcinogenicity. As suggested by U.S. EPA, it is of utmost importance the development of water remediation technologies to remove MTBE [Ref]. Zeolites are alumino-silicates of defined porosity, whose properties are related to the framework structural and chemical features. These properties can be modulated to increase their selectivity and sorbent activity. Here, the ability of two high silica zeolite (ZSM-5 and Y) to retain MTBE in the presence of water (i.e. from aqueous and gas phase) was addressed. MTBE batch adsorption was performed and analyzed by HS-SPME-CG and TG and the exhausted sorbent investigated by XRPD. The Rietveld analysis allowed the identification of the occurrence and the positioning of MTBE-H2O clusters into the zeolite pores (see figure). The formation of clusters were also observed when the adsorption was conducted in gas phase in the presence of water vapour by variable pressure/temperature FTIR spectroscopy, thus highlightening the cooperative effect of H2O in MTBE removal by the zeolites. These findings are of certain interest for scientists working in the depollution of wastewater streams and indoor environments from oxygenated organic pollutants. [Ref]: Braschi et al., 2012 J. Phys. Chem. C; Sacchetto et al., 2013 PCCP; Arletti et al., 2013 J. Solid State Chem. Research funded by Research Center for Non-Conventional Energy, Istituto ENI Donegani – Environmental Technologies

Influence of water on the retention of methyl t-butyl ether (MTBE) by high silica zeolites: A multidisciplinary adsorption study from aqueous solution and water vapour

PASTI, Luisa;MARTUCCI, Annalisa;
2015

Abstract

Methyl tertiary-butyl ether (MTBE) is a gasoline additive to increase octane ratings. MTBE is of particular concern due to its high aqueous solubility/vapour pressure and to its not readily biodegradability and potential human carcinogenicity. As suggested by U.S. EPA, it is of utmost importance the development of water remediation technologies to remove MTBE [Ref]. Zeolites are alumino-silicates of defined porosity, whose properties are related to the framework structural and chemical features. These properties can be modulated to increase their selectivity and sorbent activity. Here, the ability of two high silica zeolite (ZSM-5 and Y) to retain MTBE in the presence of water (i.e. from aqueous and gas phase) was addressed. MTBE batch adsorption was performed and analyzed by HS-SPME-CG and TG and the exhausted sorbent investigated by XRPD. The Rietveld analysis allowed the identification of the occurrence and the positioning of MTBE-H2O clusters into the zeolite pores (see figure). The formation of clusters were also observed when the adsorption was conducted in gas phase in the presence of water vapour by variable pressure/temperature FTIR spectroscopy, thus highlightening the cooperative effect of H2O in MTBE removal by the zeolites. These findings are of certain interest for scientists working in the depollution of wastewater streams and indoor environments from oxygenated organic pollutants. [Ref]: Braschi et al., 2012 J. Phys. Chem. C; Sacchetto et al., 2013 PCCP; Arletti et al., 2013 J. Solid State Chem. Research funded by Research Center for Non-Conventional Energy, Istituto ENI Donegani – Environmental Technologies
2015
methyl t-butyl ether, high silica zeolite, adsorption
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Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/11392/2340930
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