Process and apparatus for producing carbon monoxide

A method for the separation of carbon monoxide product and hydrogen from a syngas feedstock, comprising:

• cooling and partially condensing the syngas feedstock (1) containing carbon monoxide and hydrogen in a primary heat exchanger (110) to produce a cooled and partially condensed syngas feed stream (10);
• separating the cooled and partially condensed syngas feed stream (10) into a first hydrogen rich vapor stream (11) and a first carbon monoxide rich liquid stream (12) in a separator (120);
• feeding the first carbon monoxide rich liquid stream (12) to a hydrogen removal column (130) operating at a pressure lower than the separator (120), wherein a second hydrogen rich vapor stream (13) is separated from a second carbon monoxide rich stream (14) in said hydrogen removal column (130);
• splitting said second carbon monoxide rich stream (14) into two portions wherein a first portion of the second carbon monoxide rich stream (16) is at least partially vaporized in the primary heat exchanger (110) and providing a second portion of the second carbon monoxide rich stream (15) wherein both portions are introduced into a carbon monoxide/methane column (160) for separating purified carbon monoxide vapor stream (18) from a methane rich liquid stream (19);
• splitting a syngas feedstock portion (2) from the syngas feedstock (1) after partially cooling in the primary heat exchanger (110) and routing the cooled syngas feedstock portion (2) to provide reboiling duty to a carbon monoxide/methane column reboiler (170) and recovering a partially condensed syngas feedstock portion (3) from the carbon monoxide/methane column reboiler (170);
• and
• separating said partially condensed syngas feedstock portion (3) in a phase separator (150) to recover a third syngas vapor stream fraction (5), splitting the third syngas vapor stream fraction (5) into a fourth syngas vapor stream fraction (6) and fifth syngas vapor stream fraction (7) and partially condensing the fourth syngas vapor stream fraction (6) in a hydrogen removal column reboiler (140) which is in communication with said hydrogen removal column (130) providing reboiling duty to said hydrogen removal column reboiler (140) and recovering a partially condensed syngas stream fraction (9).