Safe Practices in Handling Molecular Sieves General Use and in
the Process Industry General Precautions and Practice of
Handling Molecular Sieves Molecular sieve beads or powder are
not flammable but if they are exposed to water the molecular
sieve will give off heat. Molecular sieve dust can also irritate
sensitive tissues and because of these reasons, safety
precautions must be observed. Wear protective clothing (eye
protection, dust masks, gloves and clothing to cover the body).
Molecular sieves are typically shipped in 55 gallon drums or in
Supersacks. When removing the lid from the drum a vacuum
condition may exist. Loosen the vent screw on the lid first to
break the vacuum before removing the lid. Preparation for
Entering the Process Vessel Purge the spent molecular sieve bed.
This is done by first regenerating the bed by heating and
cooling it with gas in a typical regeneration. If the bed was in
hazardous or toxic service, use nitrogen to purge the system. As
a recommended last step to ensure safety,