Molecular Sieve Dehydration units typically have higher initial capital investments than comparable glycol units but also are able to achieve very low dew points which are required for cryogenic plants.  Additionally, Molecular Sieve Units can also handle large flow variations as well as higher inlet gas temperatures.

Molecular sieve acts as an effective absorbent for gases and liquids. Activating molecular sieves with a unique structure helps several systems to remove unwanted gas or liquid impurities to a great extent. It can also split the gases or liquids in the form of molecular size. Molecular sieve plays a great role in the distillation of ethanol above the azeotropic point at 95.6% volume. Now, ethanol dehydration process can be carried out with the advanced technology beyond this azeotropic point with the help of synthetic molecular sieves effectively.

Molecular sieve Dehydration Process requires a high level of purity in the range of industrial and food applications. Type 3A molecular sieves are considered as the most effective type to dry ethanol. In the ethanol dehydration process, the hydrated ethanol vapors are passed through the molecular sieve bed. As the vapors pass the sieve bed, in the very first step water gets adsorbed by the pores of the adsorbent structure. The process of adsorption continues until the possible water adsorption from these vapors gets completed or molecular sieve gets saturated.

The process of transferring the water from hydrated ethanol vapors to the activated molecular sieve occurs through an area or a zone where the reduction of water content carries from its inlet to outlet concentration. This master transfer zone provides one active bed for transporting the dehydration while another bed for regeneration. The movement from one bed to another is handled and controlled using the powerful valves and automation. The pure ethanol after the dehydration process using molecular sieves can be used as a fuel in automobiles and other useful applications.