(524e) Production of Large Quantities of ZIF-8 through Batch and Semi Continuous Processes

Zeolitic imidazolate framework-8 (ZIF-8) is a nanoparticle, which contains a large enough surface area for it to be applicable in many modern-day transport operations. Since transport operations are a large factor in many innovative fields, such as sustainable energy and gas purification, production and utilization of particles in new applications is the key to the future growth of increasingly efficient heat and energy transfer operations. Due to the fact that the current laboratory synthesis method for ZIF-8 is extremely lengthy and inefficient, the research conducted sought to design a large-scale method to produce the large quantities of ZIF-8 required for testing new applications. By taking the unit operations perspective, both a batch process and a semi-continuous process were designed and implemented to produce large quantities of ZIF-8 through the use of a stirred tank reactor and a spray dryer. Several methods of characterization show that the ZIF-8 produced from the designed bulk synthesis method hold the same properties as that produced from the traditional lab scale processes.