Air separation process and apparatus for high argon recovery and moderate pressure nitrogen recovery

Patent · Tue Apr 18 04:00:00 EDT 1989

OSTI ID:6042737

Cheung, H

An air separation process is described comprising: (A) introducing feed air into a first column operating at a pressure within the range of from 60 to 300 psia and separating the feed within the first column into nitrogen-richer and oxygen-richer components; (B) passing oxygen-richer and nitrogen-richer component from the first column into a second column operating at a pressure less than that of the first column and within the range of from 20 to 90 psia, for separation into nitrogen-rich and oxygen-rich components; (C) recovering nitrogen-rich component as moderate pressure nitrogen product; (D) passing argon containing fluid from an intermediate point of the second column into a third column and separating the argon-containing fluid within the third column into argon-richer vapor and oxygen-richer liquid; (E) recovering a first portion of the argon-richer vapor as crude argon product; and (F) condensing a second portion of the argon-richer vapor by indirect heat exchange with oxygen-rich component and passing resulting liquid down the third column as reflux liquid.

• Assignee: Union Carbide Corp., Danbury, CT
• Patent Number(s): US 4822395
• OSTI ID: 6042737
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

42 ENGINEERING
424000* -- Engineering-- Pollution Control Equipment-- (1980-1989)
500200 -- Environment
Atmospheric-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989)
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
AIR
AIR POLLUTION CONTROL
ARGON
COMPRESSED GASES
CONTROL
ELEMENTS
EQUIPMENT
EVAPORATION
FLUIDS
GASES
NITROGEN
NONMETALS
PHASE TRANSFORMATIONS
POLLUTION CONTROL
POLLUTION CONTROL EQUIPMENT
RARE GASES
RECOVERY
SEPARATION EQUIPMENT
SEPARATION PROCESSES