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Title: Production of high purity argon

Patent ·
OSTI ID:5543815

This patent describes a process for the production of high purity argon. It comprises: recovering an argon-enriched sidestream from a low pressure column of a cryogenic air separation distillation system comprising a high pressure column, the low pressure column, an argon sidearm column, and a main heat exchanger; passing the argon-enriched sidestream into the argon sidearm column and withdrawing therefrom a crude argon stream containing less than about 0.8 mol% oxygen; and passing the crude argon stream into a final purification system comprising a combination of a getter system for the removal of oxygen by chemical reaction with a metal-containing getter catalyst and an argon purification distillation column for the removal of impurities other than oxygen, and withdrawing from the final purification system a stream of the high purity argon.

Assignee:
Air Products and Chemicals Inc., Allentown, PA (USA)
Patent Number(s):
US 4983194; A
Application Number:
PPN: US 7-475070
OSTI ID:
5543815
Resource Relation:
Patent File Date: 2 Feb 1990
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English