THE EFFECT OF VARIATION OF ZEOLITE AS ADSORBENT MEDIUM AND ADSOPTION PRESSURE TOWARD THE QUALITY OF OXYGEN PRODUCED FROM PRESSURE SWING ADSORPTION (PSA)

Abstract

One of the most important element in human life is oxygen.  To produce good quality of oxygen, a purification process is needed. Pressure Swing Adsorption with the adsobent of zeolite is the most comon method used for oxygen purification. This study aimed to find out media variation of of zeolite as adsorbent medium and adsoption pressure toward oxygen quality produced from PSA. Variation of adsrobent medium used were 13X zeolite and combination of 13X zeolite  and Bayah zeolite (zeolite 13X+ZAB). The study result shows that the use of 13X zeolite  and 13X+ZAB zeolite can significanly increase the quality of oxygen in PSA compare to without using zeolite. The use of 13X zeolite produce higher quality of oxygen, this is because 13X zeolit is a zeolite which has high ability to adsorb nitrogen and 13X zeolite  has high surface area. The higher the adsorbent surface area the more adsorbat was adsrobed so that 13X zeolite will adsorb niotrogen. Meanwhile the addition of Bayah natural zeolite into 13x zeolite (13X zeolite +ZAB) is to overcome the problem of the vapor releasing which can hinder the performance of PSA in certain period of time, so that it is needed one media of adsorbent of natural zeolite which can adsorb liquid produced from this PSA. The effect of pressure variation toward oxigen quality produced from PSA is that the higher the pressure applied the faster  the process of lowering the quality of oxygen would be, this is because the adsorben was more saturated. The pressure highly affect the adsorbability occur in PSA colomn.