New Developments in Adsorption/Separation of Small Molecules by Zeolites

This volume compiles and discusses the fundamental and multidisciplinary knowledge on adsorption and separation processes using zeolites as adsorbents. Over the last decade, a large amount of research has been carried out for the development of zeolites as adsorbents. However, there is still a growing interest to increase the understanding of such selective adsorbents. Therefore, synthesis strategies and new approaches for developing new selective zeolite adsorbents for gas separation are presented in the first chapter. In addition, a chapter focused on adsorption characterization techniques of microporous materials is included. This will be helpful for advanced readers, since the new IUPAC recommendations for microporous characterization are not still widely employed by the zeolite community. Experimental and theoretical aspects of economically and environmentally relevant separations, which have been successfully carried out with zeolites, are discussed in detail in subsequent chapters. Finally, industrial zeolite based adsorption and separation processes as well as current perspectives for new zeolite based separations, and improvements of current technologies are presented.

Fernando Rey (Madrid, 1963) obtained his BSc in Chemistry at the Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, continuing his studies to obtain the PhD in Chemistry at the Instituto de Tecnología Química (ITQ) in 1992. Then, he held a stay at The Royal Institution of Great Britain in the research group of Prof. Thomas, working in the use of characterization techniques based on synchrotron radiation for the study of catalysts under real operating conditions. In 1995, he returned to the ITQ, obtaining one year later a permanent position as Scientific Collaborator (current head Tenured Scientist) of the CSIC. In 2007, he reached the position of Research Professor within this same institution. Since November 2014, he is the Director of the ITQ. His research area focuses on the development of new micro and mesoporous catalysts, mainly zeolites, with application in processes of industrial interest and their characterization by advanced diffraction or spectroscopic techniques. He is author of more than 150 articles in international publications, reaching an h-index of 56, and he appears as an inventor in 48 patents, of which 20 have been licensed to companies and 2 are being commercially exploited. Currently, he is a member of the Council and the Synthesis Committee of the International Zeolite Association.

Susana Valencia received the degree in Chemistry at the University of Valencia in 1990 and obtained the PhD degree at the Universitat Politècnica de València in 1997 with a work performed at the Instituto de Tecnología Química (ITQ) in Valencia. She is a member of the permanent scientific staff of the ITQ as Scientific Researcher. Her research is mainly focused on the synthesis, characterization and catalytic applications of zeolitic microporous materials, as well as the study of their adsorption and diffusion properties for the use in separation processes. She has participated in numerous research projects of public financing and in collaboration withindustries, both national and international. Her scientific productivity can be summarized in almost 90 publications in scientific journals of high impact, reaching an h-index of 39, numerous presentations in congresses, several invited conferences and 30 patents related to the synthesis of new microporous materials and their applications in different industrial processes. Some of these patents are the direct result of projects financed by companies and others have been developed from own research works and later have been licensed to industries