• • Saturated adsorption capacity of molecular sieves decreased by up to 20% when moisture content increased from 0% to 5%, confirming water competition; all-silica ZSM-5 retained highest capacity under humid conditions, critical for marine applications.
• • Pore size matching dictates selectivity: ZSM-5 (0.54–0.56 nm) adsorbs C1–C3 molecules (10–50 mg/g), β-type (1.1–1.2 nm) is optimal for C3–C6, and HY (2.16–2.76 nm) achieves 100–120 mg/g for C8 p-xylene, enabling tailored adsorbent selection.
• • In binary acrylonitrile/p-xylene mixtures, layered configuration with ZSM-5 top and HY bottom prolonged breakthrough time by 35% compared to single-sieve beds, balancing component capacities and improving utilization efficiency.
• • Molecular sieves demonstrated thermal stability and regenerability, with adsorption capacity loss under 5% after five regeneration cycles, supporting cost-effective cyclic operation in industrial VOC treatment.