Medical Gas Storage Practice Exam

Oxygen molecular sieves are specifically designed for the efficient separation of oxygen from nitrogen in air. This process typically involves a technique known as Pressure Swing Adsorption (PSA), where the sieve material adsorbs nitrogen more readily than oxygen under specific pressure conditions. As a result, the enriched oxygen is collected while nitrogen is left to be released back into the atmosphere.

Molecular sieves are made from materials that have very specific pore sizes, allowing them to selectively adsorb molecules based on their size and shape. In this case, while both oxygen and nitrogen are present in the air, the sieves effectively distinguish between them, resulting in a higher concentration of oxygen for medical or industrial use.

Storing oxygen, compressing it for transport, or filtering impurities from air do not describe the primary function of molecular sieves. These processes involve different methods and equipment unrelated to the specialized function of molecular sieves. Thus, the main purpose of molecular sieves is their capability to separate oxygen from nitrogen effectively.