Siliporite® Molecular sieves for petrochemistry
High-performance molecular sieves are essential for modern olefin and petrochemical production, where even trace impurities can compromise separation efficiency, catalyst stability, and overall unit reliability. Leveraging decades of expertise in the chemical industry and in zeolite and adsorbent technologies, Arkema delivers advanced molecular sieves engineered specifically for the demanding conditions of cracked gas drying, ethylene and propylene purification, and polymer‑grade olefins treatment.
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High‑performance molecular sieves for olefin purification
Olefin purification is a critical step in petrochemical complexes, where even trace levels of impurities can impact downstream separation efficiency, catalyst performance, and asset reliability. From cracked gas drying in steam crackers to polymer-grade ethylene and propylene purification, molecular sieves play a decisive role in ensuring product quality and long-term unit operability.
With more than 50 years of expertise in zeolite and adsorbent manufacturing, Arkema offers a comprehensive range of high-performance molecular sieves specifically engineered for the most demanding olefin purification applications.
Cracked gas drying and purification
Cracked gas drying is universally recognized as one of the most challenging molecular sieve applications in the petrochemical industry. The combination of cyclic operation, high temperatures, complex gas compositions, and reactive olefins places extreme demands on adsorbent performance.
Ethylene-rich cracked gas streams contain unsaturated hydrocarbons that can co-adsorb within molecular sieve pores. If the adsorbent is not properly designed, this phenomenon may trigger coking reactions and green oil formation, progressively fouling the pore structure, reducing adsorption capacity, increasing pressure drop, and ultimately shortening dryer lifetime.
In parallel, cracked gas dryers operate under severe cyclic conditions. Molecular sieves must therefore combine:
- High water adsorption capacity to protect cryogenic separation units
- Low catalytic activity to minimize coking tendency
- Excellent mechanical resistance to avoid dusting, powdering, and downstream contamination
Arkema molecular sieves are installed in numerous ethylene and olefin plants worldwide, with all types of feedstocks: ethane, naphtha... Arkema products are approved by all major steam-cracking technology licensors, reflecting decades of proven industrial performance in both grassroots and revamp projects.
Siliporite® OPX molecular sieves for olefin purification
To address the unique challenges of cracked gas and olefin purification, Arkema developed the Siliporite® OPX product range: advanced 3Å molecular sieves designed explicitly for olefin-rich environments.
Thanks to years of development, the OPX range combines:
- Optimized ion exchange to ensure strict water selectivity
- Reduced catalytic activity, limiting olefin co-adsorption and coke formation
- Enhanced mechanical strength, ensuring long-term stability under severe cyclic operation
In addition to cracked gas and olefins drying, selected OPX grades are also used for ammonia (NH₃) removal in olefins streams and for mercury removal, helping protect downstream cryogenic equipment, catalysts, and aluminum heat exchangers.
Siliporite® OPX-R for cracked gas drying
Siliporite® OPX-R was specifically developed to push performance even further in cracked gas dryers. It offers:
- High adsorption capacity, maximizing dryer efficiency
- Minimal coking tendency, preserving pore accessibility over time
- Outstanding mechanical resistance, reducing dust formation and pressure drop increase
Thanks to this balanced design, Siliporite® OPX-R enables extended operating lifecycles of 5 years or more in cracked gas drying units, supporting higher on-stream factors and lower total cost of ownership.
| Siliporite® products | Cracked gas drying | Olefins drying | Hydrogen drying | Amonia removal | Oxygenates removal | Sulfur compound removal | Mercury removal | Benefits |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| OPX-R | X | X | X | X | Improved 3Å, reduced coking | |||
| OPX-K | X | X | X | X | Improved 3Å, high kinetics | |||
| OPX-T | X | Improved 3Å, reduced pressure drop | ||||||
| OPX-N | X | Improved 3Å for NH3 removal | ||||||
| OPX-HG | X | Regenerable mercury removal adsorbent | ||||||
| OXY30 | X | Hybrid adsorbent | ||||||
| SCOS | X | Promoted alumina |
Polymer-grade olefins drying and purification
Beyond cracked gas and ethylene production, Arkema molecular sieves are widely used for the drying and purification of polymer-grade olefins, including ethylene, propylene, and other olefin monomers feeding polyethylene and polypropylene units. These applications require extremely low impurity levels to ensure reliable operation of downstream separation units and long-term protection of polymerization catalysts.
In addition to stringent moisture control, Arkema solutions address the removal of methanol, carbon dioxide (CO₂), sulfur compounds, and other oxygenated or polar impurities commonly encountered in olefin streams, particularly in propylene purification. Even trace levels of these contaminants can negatively impact catalyst activity, polymer quality, and overall plant operability in PE, HDPE, LDPE, LLDPE, and PP plants.
Depending on the process configuration and impurity profile, Arkema offers tailored purification solutions based on 3Å or 13X molecular sieves, activated alumina, or hybrid alumina–zeolite adsorbents, enabling optimal performance across a wide range of operating conditions.
By combining deep application expertise with a broad adsorbent portfolio, Arkema materials support olefin and polymer producers to overcome technical challenges and in achieving stable long-term operation, consistent polymer-grade quality, and extended adsorbent lifetimes, even in the most demanding purification services.
A trusted molecular sieves supplier for olefin and petrochemical production
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