Zn-Modified Hβ Zeolites Used in the Adsorptive Removal of Organic Chloride from Model Naphtha

[Image: see text] Different metal ions were used to modify Hβ zeolite adsorbents by an impregnation method to remove organic chlorides from the model naphtha. The dechlorination performance of different ion-modified adsorbents was evaluated using a microcoulometer. The effects of calcination time and temperature, metal loading, adsorption time and temperature, and dosage of adsorbent were investigated by batch adsorption experiments. The modified adsorbents were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET), NH(3)-temperature-programmed desorption (TPD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), infrared spectroscopy of pyridine adsorption (Py-IR), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). After modification, the modified Zn/Hβ zeolite exhibited the best dechlorination performance among the other metal-loaded zeolites. The removal percentage of organic chloride of the Zn/Hβ adsorbent prepared at optimum preparation and adsorption conditions can reach 72.54%, compared with 34.07% of Hβ zeolite. The Zn/Hβ adsorbent also maintained good dechlorination performance after regeneration by calcination for five times. The characterization results revealed that the concentration of the B acid sites in the zeolite decreased with the introduction of the metals, whereas that of the L acid sites increased. Zn/Hβ zeolite had the lowest B/L ratio but the best dechlorination performance, which meant that the type and amount of acidic sites present in zeolites played a significant role in dechlorination performance and L acid was beneficial for chloride compound removal.