Argon recovery from hydrogen depleted ammonia plant purge gas utilizing a combination of cryogenic and non-cryogenic separating means

Patent · Tue Jun 14 04:00:00 EDT 1988

OSTI ID:6366009

MacLean, D L; Krishnamurthy, R; Lerner, S L

This patent describes a process for the recovery of argon from a gas stream comprising hydrogen, nitrogen, methane, and argon comprising: (i) passing the gas stream through a pressure swing adsorption means for separating essentially all of the methane and most of the nitrogen, thereby producing a product stream containing an increased amount of argon; (ii) passing the product stream to a means for separating out most of the hydrogen, thereby producing a hydrogen depleted product stream; and (iii) passing the hydrogen depleted product stream to a cryogenic distillation means for separating the remaining nitrogen and hydrogen, thereby producing an essentially pure argon final product, the process further comprising recycling all or part of the vent gas from the pressure swing adsorption means into the process or, in the event the gas mixture is the purge gas from an ammonia synthesis plant which has been treated to remove ammonia therefrom, to the plant.

• Assignee: BOC Group, Inc., Montvale, NJ
• Patent Number(s): US 4750925
• OSTI ID: 6366009
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATION
320305* -- Energy Conservation
Consumption
& Utilization-- Industrial & Agricultural Processes-- Industrial Waste Management
420201 -- Engineering-- Cryogenic Equipment & Devices
71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
ADSORPTION
ALKANES
AMMONIA
ARGON
CHEMICAL PLANTS
CRYOGENICS
DESORPTION
ELEMENTS
EMISSION
FLUIDS
GASEOUS WASTES
GASES
HYDRIDES
HYDROCARBONS
HYDROGEN
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
INDUSTRIAL PLANTS
METHANE
NITROGEN
NITROGEN COMPOUNDS
NITROGEN HYDRIDES
NONMETALS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
RARE GASES
RECOVERY
SEPARATION PROCESSES
SORPTION
WASTES