Novel adsorbent compositions

An adsorption process for separating a less strongly adsorbable component from a fluid mixture containing at least one less strongly adsorbable component and at least one more strongly adsorbable component comprising contacting the fluid mixture with an adsorbent composition which selectively adsorbs the at least one more strongly adsorbable component and the at least one less strongly adsorbable component is recovered as product;

• the adsorbent composition comprising agglomerated particles of at least one active component bound together by a silicone-derived binding agent and wherein 90% or more of the active component is present calculated on a dry weight final product basis and the composition has a crush strength value of greater than that obtained from the value determined by the relationship y=1.2x−0.2 where y is the mean crush strength in lbF and x is the mean particle size in mm.

An agglomerated adsorbent composition useful in adsorption, separation, and purification processes prepared by the process of mixing a composition comprising at least one active component selected from one or more aluminosilicates and a silicone binder precursor containing organic side groups on an silicon-oxide backbone to make a mixture, forming the mixture into agglomerated particles, and subjecting the agglomerated particles to a thermal heat treatment sufficient to volatize at least part of the organic side groups to form a silicone-derived binding agent, wherein the silicone-derived binding agent is present in the final agglomerated adsorbent composition in an amount of 10% or less calculated on a dry weight final product basis.

An adsorbent composition comprising agglomerated crystallite zeolite particles bound with a silicone-derived binding agent made by the calcination of a mixture comprising at least the crystallite zeolite particles with a silicone binder precursor, the composition having substantially no visible silicone-derived binding agent in the pores of the agglomerated particles when viewed under a SEM at 4500× magnification.

The adsorbent composition of claim 31 wherein the silicone-derived binding agent is derived from a silicone binder precursor of the general formula [R2SiO]n, where R is one or more organic side groups selected from C1 to C8 organic compounds, including linear, branched and cyclic compounds or mixtures thereof and wherein the polymeric or oligomeric silicones are terminated by hydroxy, methoxy, ethoxy groups or mixtures thereof.

An adsorbent composition prepared using a calcination step comprising agglomerated particles of one or more aluminosilicates bound with 10% or less of a silicone-derived binding agent as calculated on a final product dry weight basis.