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

Patent · Tue Jun 14 00:00:00 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
• Resource Relation: Patent File Date: Filed date 4 May 1987
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

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