Molecular sieves, 3A, 3-5mm (0.12-0.20in) cylindrical pellets

3A molecular sieves, 3–5 mm pellets, are needed when efficient and selective water removal in industrial drying and purification processes is the objective. Larger molecules remain untouched.

Our molecular sieves adsorb water but exclude larger molecules like hydrocarbons, which prevents co-adsorption issues. 3A molecular sieves in 3–5 mm cylindrical pellets are primarily used for drying and purifying gases and liquids. Their pore size (3 angstroms) makes them ideal for selectively adsorbing water molecules while excluding larger molecules, which is why they’re widely applied in ethanol dehydration, natural gas drying, refrigerant purification, and moisture protection in industrial processes.

Their specifications make our molecular sieves are ideal for refurbishing BASi® RE-5B reference electrodes.

3A molecular sieves are synthetic zeolites with a pore size of ~3 Å (angstroms). The cylindrical pellet form (3–5 mm) is chosen for uniform packing, low pressure drop, and high mechanical strength in industrial adsorption columns. They are the potassium-exchanged form of 4A zeolite, which reduces pore size to 3 Å, allowing only very small molecules (like water) to be adsorbed.

Key Applications

• Moisture removal for drying of natural gas, air, and other industrial gases to prevent corrosion and freezing.
• Solvent dehydration of liquids like ethanol, methanol, and solvents**, where water must be removed without affecting the main product.
• Refrigerant purification for air-conditioning and refrigeration systems to remove trace water, preventing ice formation and system damage.
• Petrochemical and chemical processing to protects catalysts and sensitive equipment from water contamination.
• Ensures high-purity feedstocks for reactions where water would interfere.
• Packaging storage of in sealed systems or containers to keep products dry.

Why Cylindrical Pellets (3–5 mm)?

• Uniform flow distribution in adsorption towers.
• High crush strength for durability under industrial operating conditions.
• Reduced dusting compared to powder forms.
• Optimized diffusion of adsorbates, making them efficient for continuous drying processes.

Once saturated with water, sieves must be regenerated by heating or purging with dry gas.

Specifications of Alfa Aesar™ Molecular sieves, 3A, 3-5mm (0.12-0.20in), cylindrical pellets:

• CAS: 308080-99-1
• Quantity: 100g
• Molecular Weight (g/mol): 202.135
• IUPAC Name: aluminum;sodium;dioxido(oxo)silane
• Molecular Formula: AlNaO₆Si₂
• MDL Number: MFCD00131613
• PubChem CID: 19758701

Pellets are brittle if mishandled. Proper loading and unloading in columns is required.

Tags: molecular sieves, zeolite adsorption, porous desiccant, aluminum sodium silicate, drying, selective water removal