The adsorption and decomposition of cyanogen chloride by modified inorganic molecular sieves

Aluminosilicate and silicate porous solids have been evaluated as supports for triethylenediamine (TEDA) for the adsorption and decomposition of cyanogen chloride. A series of silica-gel supports has been used to study the effect of varying pore size. A series of faujasitic zeolites has been used to examine the effect of the cation exchange capacity of the support and the type of exchangeable cation. Results show that the activity of adsorbed TEDA towards cyanogen chloride appears to increase with increasing support pore diameter, and TEDA seems to be activated by basic adsorption sites on the support. Cesium-exchanged zeolite supports are particularly active. In general, zeolite supports appear to confer significantly higher activity to TEDA than traditional activated carbon supports. A series of mesoporous MCM-41 and AlMCM-41 supports has also been studied, but the activities of adsorbed TEDA are lower than expected. Significantly, the specific surface area of the inorganic supports does not seem to be a primary factor in controlling adsorbed TEDA activity.