Best Guidelines for Removal of Peroxide from THF using Activated Alumina Balls
What are Activated Alumina Balls?
Activated Alumina Balls are commonly used desiccant. They are in demand mainly for two reasons- large surface area and high absorption qualities. Other properties of Activated Alumina Balls, which add to its popularity are 1) its insolubility in water 2) easily dissolving in acids and alkalies. Both these properties make it the best desiccant for absorbing toxins and harmful substances from the surroundings.
Main Features of Activated Alumina Balls
Activated Alumina Balls have many distinct features. Some of the main ones are listed below:
1) Highly recommended for removing moisture from gases.
2) High degrees of porosity and more surface area.
3) Best suited for compressed air drying systems.
4) Remains physically and chemically intact during high temperatures.
5) Can remove many fluoride molecules from drinking water.
Different Uses of Activated Alumina Balls
Activated Alumina Balls have used across various industries. These include water purification, thermal swing adsorption process, oil filtration, air and gas drying, heated and heatless drying process. Among all the uses, the main use of Activated Alumina is for water treatment. In this process, the Activated Alumina balls are first placed in the water that has to be purified. As the pH and alkaline levels of the water are low, more fluoride molecules will be attracted to the Activated Alumina desiccant. In this way, the water meant for drinking and household purposes are purified and freed from impurities and harmful substances.
The biggest advantage of using Activated Alumina balls in water purification is that as the desiccant has numerous pores, it can attract more fluoride molecules over a larger surface area. This translates into more impurities being taken in over more areas. The water meant for purification usually contains 2ppm (parts per million) fluoride levels before filtration. This water is then passed through Activated Alumina filters. After purification, the water is found to contain fluoride levels less than .1ppm. This shows how effective Activated Alumina balls are as a desiccant.
Suppliers of Activated Alumina Balls
With so much demand for Activated Alumina balls, it is important to ensure that the supply of these desiccants is done in a proper and efficient manner. One of the most well-known suppliers of Activated Alumina Balls in the country is Sorbead India. The company is committed to bringing to its client's reasonable wholesale Activated Alumina Prices. The Activated Alumina balls specification being offered by Sorbead India is at par with any of our competitors. Keeping all these factors in mind, it is a good idea to buy Activated Alumina from Sorbead India. The company was set up in 1996 and today is one of the leading suppliers and distributors of Desiccants and Adsorbents in the country.
Chemical compounds when stored for a prolonged period and later when exposed to air and light undergo slow oxidation and lead to the formation of Peroxide, which can be visualized in the form of Crystals. The Peroxide thus formed get detonated on combining with other compounds or when disturbed due to fiction or heat resulting in an explosion. This is because of the Chemicals or Chemical compounds having oxidation and reduction centers within the same molecule. Thus, such chemical compounds are unstable and undergo auto-decomposition even on exposure to Sunlight. The Presence of peroxide can be detected by using Peroxide test strips. The change in the colour of the strips indicates the presence of Peroxide.
Peroxide forming chemicals include Di-isopropyl ether, Di-vinyl acetylene, Sodium amide, Vinylidiene Chloride, Dioxane, Diethyl ether, Tetra hydro Furan. Among this Tetra hydro Furan (C4H8O) also known as Oxolone, is a solvent that is most often used in the manufacturing of Rubber, Plastics, Dyes, PVC pies and even in food storage and packaging material.
THF(Tetra Hydro Furan) PeroxideTest:
The presence of Peroxide indicates the formation of Tetrahydrofuran peroxide formation in the solvent, which can be established by performing THF peroxide Test which gives the concentration of peroxide level in THF solvent. In this test Peroxide test strip is placed in the solvent for 1 second, and then removed. If the strip turns deep blue, green or brown it indicates high peroxide levels in the solvent. The gradations on the color scale 0,5,60,250 and 500ppm indicate the concentration of the peroxide level in THF.
Therefore, proper handling of THF{Tetra hydro Furan)Mfg is necessary as it stimulates the rate of peroxide formation within a short time. By following the guidelines by EH&S, which are given below not only slows down the rate of peroxide formation but also prevents peroxide contamination.
Best Guidelines for removal of peroxide from THF
• Identification: Based on peroxide formation, Identify the Chemical, which is classified into
Class A: Severe Peroxide Hazard, which needs to be disposed of within 3 months if opened.
Class B: Concentration Hazard, need to be disposed of within 6 months if opened.
Class C: Shock and Heat Sensitive, need to be disposed off within 6 months if opened.
Class D: Potential Peroxide forming Chemicals need to be disposed of only if peroxide crystals are Present.
Therefore, THF (Tetra Hydro Furan)Mfg is considered as a Class C, Chemical as it is Shock and Heat Sensitive.
• Handling: Handle the peroxide forming chemicals, such as THF (Tetra Hydro Furan)Mfg only when labeled with Date received and Date opened.
• Storage: Do not store, Peroxide forming Chemicals such as THF (Tetra Hydro Furan)Mfg in direct sunlight as it accelerates peroxide Formation. Store in a tightly closed, air-impermeable, light-resistant containers.
• Disposal: Peroxide forming Chemicals, such as THF (Tetra Hydro Furan)Mfg must be disposed of, even if unopened within a time frame of 1year.
Procedures for the Removal of Peroxides in THF (Tetrahydrofuran) Mfg:
Removal of peroxides is performed by various methods, in which absorption by Activated Alumina is considered as an efficient process. Removal of Peroxides is possible only if the concentration of peroxide, in parts per million is low, such as-
• If the concentration of the Peroxide level is less than 30ppm, it is considered has Hazardous. Thus formed peroxide is removed either by the Distillation Process or Evaporation process or by the Chromatography process.
• But if the concentration of the Peroxide level is greater than 30ppm, it is considered has deadly Hazardous and needs to be disposed of carefully using a suitable procedure.
Distillation:
The distillation process is employed for the THF(Tetrahydrofuran)mfg containing the only 0ppm of Peroxide. In this process, the THF fraction of vapor steam is absorbed by the Activated Alumina Balls after which a multi-stage distillation is run which gives a peroxide-free THF. Since, Distillation eliminates the inhibitor if present, enhancing peroxide formation, it is a less often used procedure.
Evaporation :
The evaporation process requires a significant amount of heat, which is why employed for the removal of a low level of Peroxides. Since this evaporation process is performed in a rotary evaporator containing round-bottomed flask, only low-level peroxides which possess less hazard are said to be subjected to Evaporation. Hence it is considered as the safe procedure only for low Volumes of THF(Tetrahydrofuran)Mfg.
Chromatography:
Column Chromatography consists of a glass tube with the bottom portion of the column packed with glass wool or cotton wool, above which the absorbent, Activated Alumina powder slurred is poured and a paper disc is placed above it. Then peroxide contaminated THF(Tetrahydrofuran)Mfg solvent is added to the column, which slowly passes through the packed column and gets eluted on removing the glass wool which is collected in a brown glass bottle. The Peroxide free THF(Tetrahydrofuran) thus obtained is filled with an inert gas to prevent the reformation of Peroxide in contact with Oxygen. The peroxide absorbed by the Activated Alumina in the Column is then flushed with suitable dilute acids such as Potassium Iodide or Ferrous Sulfate in order to remove the peroxide that is absorbed.
THF(Tetrahydrofuran) being a water-miscible organic solvent, is passed on through Activated Alumina, in the Column, which absorbs the peroxides present in the Solvent. In Chromatography, Absorbent plays the main role in peroxide removal. On the other hand, Activated Alumina being available in Activated Alumina powder form and Alumina Ball form absorbs the peroxides at a faster rate.
Activated Alumina
Activated Alumina being porous in nature with a high surface area absorbs Peroxide by intermolecular attraction force, until equilibrium is attained between the Solvent and the Solute in the Column. As the Activated Alumina can be slurred it acts as the best Absorbent to yield high efficient peroxide free THF(Tetrahydrofuran).
Alumina Balls
Alumina under heat or pressure gets molded into a solid mass material and is referred to as Alumina Balls. Alumina Balls act as a Catalyst better than absorbent because of uniform and regular shape increase the distribution of the THF solvent, thereby holding the contaminant, i.e, Peroxide.
Activated Alumina Ball
Alumina under heat or pressure gets molded into a solid mass material and is referred to as Alumina Balls. These are white in color, spherical in shape and they are available in a size ranging from 25mm to70mm. Activated Alumina Balls which act as Catalyst in Hydrogen peroxide production is also used to trap the peroxides when the THF (Tetrahydrofuran) peroxide solvent is run through the Vertical Columns containing Activated Alumina Balls.
Activated Alumina price hike seems to be inevitable with the growing need at the Industrial level as well as for new technologies and researches.
Uses of Activated Alumina:
• Commercially available techniques for water purification such as Ultrafiltration, Membrane separation, Reverse Osmosis, Adsorption and many more rely on the sorbent – Activated Alumina.
• Activated Alumina is also used for Hydrogen Purification, Feedstock drying, Solvent Purification.
• Drying CO2 in Breweries, inert gas drying, Removal of H2S from natural gas, Polymer Purification is also performed by Activated Alumina.
• LPG sweetening, Propane Sweetening, LNG sweetening is also achieved through Activated Alumina.
• TBC removal from Styrene, Butadiene during Polymerization is also carried on by Activated Alumina.
