Adsorption of polyethylene from thermodynamically good solvents on a zeolite stationary phase

Adsorption of linear polyethylene and isotactic polypropylene on columns packed with zeolites ZSM-5, Y, and silicalite was studied using high-temperature liquid phase chromatography. Linear polyethylene was fully retained on a column packed with ZSM-5 zeolite from non-polar solvents, such as 1,1,2,2-tetrachloroethane and 1,3,5-trimethylbenzene at a temperature of 140degreesC. Partial adsorption on ZSM-5 zeolite was found for polyethylene in 1,2,4-trichlorobenzene and on silicalite from 1,2,4-trichlorobenzene and 1, 3,5-trimethylbenzene. On the other hand, adsorption of polyethylene was not found from polar liquids, such as 2-ethylhexyl acetate, cyclohexyl acetate, and cyclohexanone. Isotactic polypropylene was not adsorbed on any tested sorbent.