Method for preparing high rate zeolitic molecular sieve particles

Claim 1

A METHOD OF PREPARING SYNTHETIC ZOELITE PARTICLES HAVING A PREDETEREMINED SIZE AND SHAPE AND AN APPARENT BULK DENSITY OF FROM ABOUT 0.70 TO ABOUT 0.95 GM./CC. WHICH COMPRISES: PREPARING A SOL OF AN INORGANIC OXIDE SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF SILICA AND ALUMINA; MIXING A GELLING AGENT WITH SAID SOL; FORMING HYDROGEL PARTILCES FROM THE RESULTING MIXTURE; CONTACTING THE UNDRIED HYDROGEL PARTICLES WITH AN ORGANIC LIQUID THAT IS MISCIBLE WITH WATER AND HAS A LOWER SURFACE TENSION THAN WATER, SUFFICIENT WATER IN SAID HYDROGEL PARTICLES BEING DISPLACED BY SAID LIQUID TO DECREASE SHRINKAGE OF THE PARTICLES WHEN DRIED AND CALCINED; DRYING AND CALCINING THE HYDROGEL PARTICLES TO FORM SOLID INORGANIC OXIDE PARTICLES OF SAID SIZE AND SHAPE; BRINGING SAID SOLID INORGANIC OXIDE PARTILCES INTO CONTACT WITH AN AQUEOUS TREATING SOLUTION CONTAINING ALKALI METAL CATIONS AND ANIONS SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF HYDROXYL, SILICATE AND ALUMINATE, THE COMPOSITION OF SAID TREATING SOLUTION BEING ESTABLISHED IN RELATION TO THE ORIGINAL COMPOSITION OF SAID SOLID INORGANIC OXIDE PARTICLES TO FORM THE DESIRED ZEOLITE; MAINTAINING THE PARTICLES IN CONTACT WITH SAID TREATING SOLUTION UNTIL THEY ARE SUBSTANTIALLY CONVERTED TO ZEOLITE PARTICLES OF SAID SIZE AND SHAPE; AND SEPARATING THE PARTICLES FROM THE TREATING SOLUTION AND DRYING THE PARTICLES TO YIELD ZEOLITE PARTICLES HAVING AN APPARENT BULK DENSITY OF FROM ABOUT 0.70 TO ABOUT 0.95 GM./CC.

Claim 2

A METHOD OF PREPARING SYNTHETIC ZOELITE PARTICLES HAVING A PREDETEREMINED SIZE AND SHAPE AND AN APPARENT BULK DENSITY OF FROM ABOUT 0.70 TO ABOUT 0.95 GM./CC. WHICH COMPRISES: PREPARING A SOL OF AN INORGANIC OXIDE SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF SILICA AND ALUMINA; MIXING A GELLING AGENT WITH SAID SOL; FORMING HYDROGEL PARTILCES FROM THE RESULTING MIXTURE; CONTACTING THE UNDRIED HYDROGEL PARTICLES WITH AN ORGANIC LIQUID THAT IS MISCIBLE WITH WATER AND HAS A LOWER SURFACE TENSION THAN WATER, SUFFICIENT WATER IN SAID HYDROGEL PARTICLES BEING DISPLACED BY SAID LIQUID TO DECREASE SHRINKAGE OF THE PARTICLES WHEN DRIED AND CALCINED; DRYING AND CALCINING THE HYDROGEL PARTICLES TO FORM SOLID INORGANIC OXIDE PARTICLES OF SAID SIZE AND SHAPE; BRINGING SAID SOLID INORGANIC OXIDE PARTILCES INTO CONTACT WITH AN AQUEOUS TREATING SOLUTION CONTAINING ALKALI METAL CATIONS AND ANIONS SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF HYDROXYL, SILICATE AND ALUMINATE, THE COMPOSITION OF SAID TREATING SOLUTION BEING ESTABLISHED IN RELATION TO THE ORIGINAL COMPOSITION OF SAID SOLID INORGANIC OXIDE PARTICLES TO FORM THE DESIRED ZEOLITE; MAINTAINING THE PARTICLES IN CONTACT WITH SAID TREATING SOLUTION UNTIL THEY ARE SUBSTANTIALLY CONVERTED TO ZEOLITE PARTICLES OF SAID SIZE AND SHAPE; AND SEPARATING THE PARTICLES FROM THE TREATING SOLUTION AND DRYING THE PARTICLES TO YIELD ZEOLITE PARTICLES HAVING AN APPARENT BULK DENSITY OF FROM ABOUT 0.70 TO ABOUT 0.95 GM./CC.