As fresh and pure air is an indispensable prerequisite for a healthy life, it is also a versatile tool in industrial markets. At many plant sites compressed air is used as an energy transfer medium and is used to drive turbines, cylinders, valves and other mechanical parts. A lot of production processes are depending on fine-tuned control mechanisms where compressed air is an easy accessible energy source. 

Avoiding condensation of water

Ambient air as a raw material for compressed air is ubiquitous and easy accessible, but has one big drawback: its moisture content. Compressing humid ambient air leads to condensation of water, which is unwanted in most chemical and technical applications. Therefore, the ambient air has to be dried before compressing. In order to achieve a minimum of moisture, adsorption is the method of choice: the vaporous water is physically adsorbed on an adsorber material (solid phase).

The Dew Point

Due to the fact that the maximum water vapor content of compressed air is mainly driven by the temperature, it is theoretically represented by the dew point. The dew point is the temperature at which the relative humidity of the compressed air is 100%. Reaching operating temperatures below this dew point would again lead to the undesirable condensation of water.

Operational Safety

Due to its key usage as an efficient energy transfer medium, a reliable source for compressed air is mandatory for guaranteeing operational safety. Therefore, not only the machinery parts such as compressor and dryer have to be functional; the adsorber material is also an important factor. Our mutual cooperation with world leading producers like BASF enables us to offer market leading adsorbents and excellent support for compressed air applications.

Main Products:

• F-200 (Activated Alumina)

• Sorbead® Air (Silica Gel)
  premium beaded silicagel
  premium water stable silicagel

• Molecular Sieves (3Å, 4Å, 5Å and 13X (10Å) pore sizes)

• Activated Carbon

Would you like to get the maximum out of your compressed air by having the most reliable desiccants, leading to extraordinary operational safety with low energy consumption? Sorbead® Air is the most energy saving and environmentally friendly adsorbent available for the air compression industry. We would be pleased to provide a tailor made solution for your compressed air needs so feel free to contact us. 

		Activated Alumina	Sorbead® Air		Molecular Sieve
		F-200 1/8”	R 2050	WS 2050	BASF 4Å
chemical composition		Al2O3	97% SiO2 + 3% Al2O3		Na12[(AlO2)12SiO2)12]
bulk density	kg/m3	769	800	700	760
ball size	mm	3.2	2.0 - 5.0	2.0 - 5.0	2.5 - 5.0
surface area	m2/g	340	700 - 750	630 - 650	800
pore volume	cm3/g	0.5	0.41 - 0.43	0.43 - 0.45	0.3
equilibrium capacity (25 °C, 80% relative humidity)	% H2O by weight	30	42	36	21
liquid water resistance		yes	no	yes	no
typical regeneration temperature	°C	170-200	120-150	120-150	200-250
minimal pressure dew point	°C	-40	-60	-60	-100