Patent ID: 8123835

Claim:
A collection of adsorbent particles, the particles comprising an adsorbent and a silica binder formed by a method comprising the steps of: mixing, agglomeration and calcination, wherein the silica binder is employed in the form of a colloidal solution in the mixing and/or agglomeration stages of the forming method and wherein the binder content in the adsorbent particles is not greater than about 15 wt % as determined by: (binder (dry wt) /(adsorbent) (dry wt) +binder (dry wt) )×100) on a dry weight basis; wherein the collection of particles has a SCRR/ε p (mmol mm 2 /g s) of greater than or equal to 4.0 as determined for a Li form of the collection of particles in which at least 90% of the exchangeable cations of the collection of adsorbents have been exchanged with Li where the degree of exchange is expressed as a ratio between the number of Li cations and number of aluminum atoms of the adsorbent present in tetrahedral positions and wherein the particles have an average crush strength of at least 0.9 lbf when such adsorbent has an average particle size of at least about 1.0 mm; and wherein the collection of particles have been subjected to ion exchange and activation such that the silica binder content does not exceed about 18 wt % of the ion-exchanged collection of particles.