Oxygen Therapy Relies on Purified Oxygen

On earth oxygen occupies approximately 21% of the air in our atmosphere (the other 78% is nitrogen and 1% is argon, carbon dioxide and other gases).  In medical situations you may need a higher concentration of oxygen than what is available in our current living conditions.  This is where 13X molecular sieve and Lithium LSX are used, they purify oxygen.  13X and Lithium LSX do this by adsorbing nitrogen, argon, and the other gases from natural air leaving you with pure oxygen.

Oxygen is the third most common element found in the universe (only hydrogen and helium are more abundant) and it is the element that is most commonly associated with life on our planet.  Technology has allowed us to make oxygen industrially but it can also be used medically.  Higher purities of oxygen are needed in the medical world for both chronic conditions and emergency medical situations and 13X molecular sieve and Lithium SLX both play crucial roles in purifying oxygen so that they can be used medically.

Oxygen in the medical world is primarily used in oxygen therapy.  Oxygen therapy helps treat chronic conditions like chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) with the most common COPD being emphysema.  Pure 100% oxygen has also been shown to be able to stop the onset of cluster headaches so long as pure oxygen is administered before the peak of the attack occurs.  Cluster headaches are medically believed to be one of the most painful experiences a human being can endure and pure oxygen can help release the tension of the blood vessels that are constricting the nerves, thus relieving a person from tremendous pain.

Oxygen therapy can be essential in saving lives during emergency medical situations and is frequently used during resuscitation. Oxygen tanks and liquid oxygen are usually used during these situations and the oxygen stored in these devices must be purified, which again is the responsibility of molecular sieve.

One of the most common devices used for medical oxygen purification is an oxygen concentrator, which is type of portable oxygen generator that can be used at home as well as in a hospital.  These devices use either 13X molecular sieve or Lithium LSX to purify their oxygen.  The difference between Lithium LSX and 13X is that the Low Sodium X in Lithium LSX has been lithium exchanged.  Both are used in portable oxygen generators but Lithium LSX is used in smaller generators while 13X is used in larger generators.

The oxygen generators range from 100 liter/minute to 3 liters/minute and can be found everywhere from hospitals to MASH units in Iraq or Afghanistan to someone afflicted with COPD. Technology in the medical world has improved to the point that some of these pressure swing units that purify the oxygen can be made so small that they can be worn on a belt, inside a backpack or be plugged into a 12 volt power source.  They can also run on lithium batteries or be plugged into a 120 volt source allowing them to run in a home, field hospital or a domestic hospital.

13X molecular sieve and Lithium LSX have improved our quality of life by allowing oxygen to be purified and used for various forms medical treatment.  This life saving technology is available due to the abilities of  molecular sieve and the scientists and engineers who continue to improve our way of life.

Part Two of a Two Part Article Dealing with Ethanol Dehydration and Sieve Regeneration and Rotation

Regeneration and rotation of molecular sieve beds is an important part of the dehydration process.  When you rotate your beds you allow ethanol to simultaneously be dehydrated and regenerated. Additionally, regenerating your sieve beads allows the material to remain in use for approximately five to seven years before you would need to change it out.

Using a typical 3-bed dehydration system as an example, rotation works by having one sieve bed adsorbing, one sieve bed depressurizing, and one sieve bed under vacuum for regeneration.  The molecular sieve units operate sequentially, rotating their functions as they’re needed.  This allows ethanol to constantly and simultaneously dehydrate and regenerate. The rotating process is why a 3-bed system has only one bed adsorbing moisture at a time.

Regeneration allows sieve beads to release the moisture they adsorbed in the most efficient manner possible.  After releasing moisture, sieve can continue to be reused for future adsorption cycles.

Regeneration is accomplished by applying vacuum to the bed undergoing regeneration. Once under vacuum adsorbed moisture from the molecular sieves desorbs and evaporates into the ethanol vapor stream.  The sieve that is still left in the tower is now ready to begin the dehydration cycle again.

This mixture of ethanol and water that is removed during the regeneration process is condensed and cooled against cooling tower water in the regeneration condenser. Any condensed vapor and entrained liquid leaving the regeneration condenser enters the regeneration receiver, where it is contacted with cooled regenerated liquid.

The cooled regenerated liquid is weak in ethanol concentration, as it contains all the water desorbed from the molecular sieve beds and contains only traces of alcohol. This low strength liquid is recycled back to the stripper column for recovering ethanol.

5 Ways You Didn’t Know Silica Gel Could Be Used

Silica gel is the most widely used desiccant in the world today, and it can be encountered in all different shapes, sizes, and colors.  Silica gel can be used industrially for adsorbing air dryers and and compressors, or you may find it in everyday items (for example in your vitamin pill canister)  in the form of tiny little packets.  It’s an adsorbent with many uses and chances are you have encountered silica gel in your life.  Its widespread use by consumers and industries have allowed silica gel to be used in creative new ways.  Here are 5 ways silica gel is being used that you may not have known about.

1. Storage of Musical Instruments -  Silica gel’s ability to reduce humidity has made silica gel packets a must for musicians who have to carry their equipment around in cases.  By placing little silica gel packets in instrument cases the silica gel reduces damage to instruments by reducing the amount of moisture and humidity that is collected while instruments are in storage or are traveling.
2. Drying Out Wet Cell Phones – If you ever get your cell phone wet, you know you might be forced into to having to buy an expensive new phone.  Well maybe not… if your quick enough you can remove the battery and memory cards and stick these parts as well as the phone in bowl filled with small silica gel packets.  The silica gel should do the trick and adsorb any liquid that is still attached to your phone.  Leave the phone  there for about 24 hours before you turn it back on and your cell phone should work fine.
3.  Camera Lens Protection – If you ever find yourself  taking photos underwater silica gel can be used protect your camera lens from condensation and unwanted moisture.  When going underwater to take photos you can put some small silica gel packets in the casing along with the camera, this protects against moisture and condensation.
4. Cat Litter – Silica gel can now be bought as cat litter and it’s highly effective too.  It has a higher adsorption rate than clay cat litter, it doesn’t clump, and it can turn color (from white to yellow) to let you know it’s time for a change out.  Silica gel cat litter also adsorbs smells, and is also odorless itself which is convenient if you hate the smell of cat litter.
5. Air Freshener – Now we’ve said silica gel is odorless, but that doesn’t mean it can’t be used to adsorb pleasant aromas as well.  If you take silica gel and soak the beads in fragrant smelling oils you can create your own scented silica gels, or your own air freshener.

These are some of the clever ways we’ve seen silica gel being used, and we would like to know if you have tried using silica gel in any of the ways mentioned above.  If you have any other clever uses for silica gel that were not posted here please share them.