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The Use of Zeolite Molecular Sieves for Trapping Low Concentrations of CO2 from Environmental Atmospheres

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  18 July 2016

R. A. Bol  and
D. D. Harkness
R. A. Bol
Affiliation:
NERC Radiocarbon Laboratory, Scottish Enterprise Technology Park, East Kilbride G75 0QF Scotland
D. D. Harkness
Affiliation:
NERC Radiocarbon Laboratory, Scottish Enterprise Technology Park, East Kilbride G75 0QF Scotland
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Abstract

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We describe a simple method for trapping low concentrations of CO2 present in gas mixtures, such as air and soil respiration, using a zeolite molecular sieve (type 13x) for environmental carbon isotope studies. We employ reusable molecular-sieve cartridges and a lightweight battery-driven pumping system, developed to enable CO2 collection in difficult and dangerous terrain or under extreme climatic conditions. The results of a small field experiment suggest that CO2 could be quantitatively trapped on and recovered from the 13x molecular sieve, without any fractionation of the stable carbon isotope. The δ13C of CO2 was also independent of the amount of air ≤18 liters and rate at which it was collected, i.e. ≤ 1 liter of air/min.

Type
V. Advances in Measurement Techniques
Information
Radiocarbon , Volume 37 , Issue 2 , 1995 , pp. 643 - 647
Copyright
Copyright © the Department of Geosciences, The University of Arizona 

References

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