Molecular Sieves

Book excerpt: From areport by a Lieutenant Colonel W.A. Ross (Chern. News, Nov.15, 1878, p. 236). Progress did not accelerate during the next 50 years. McBain, in his clas sic 1932 book, The Sorption oi Gases by So lids, devoted a chapter to sorp tion by chabasite, other zeolites, and permeable crystals. McBain remarked that "great interest attaches to the finding of Weigel and Steinhoff [0. Weigel and E. Steinhoff, Z. Kris!., 61, 125 (1925{raquo}) that chabasite rapidly sorbs the vapors of water, methyl and ethyl alcohol and formie acid, whereas acetone, ether and benzene are largely excluded. The significance of their results was pointed out by McBain [J.W. McBain, Colloid. Syrnp. Mon., 20, 1 (1926{raquo}) and recognized by alliater writers. It is evident that the partially dehydrated chabasite forms a nearly perfect molecular sieve or a semipermeable membrane of extremely regular structure ... ". While the significance of the above observation may have been recog nized, it had little impact. Thus, an eminent pioneer in the synthesis and characterization af zeolites, Professor R.M. Barrer, spent nearly two dec ades (following his Ph. D. studies in the 1930s) developing a firm foundation for the rapid growth in scientific understanding and industrial applications of zeolites which has taken place during the last 30 years.