US 11,433,348 B2Granted

Method and apparatus for recycling heptafluoroisobutyronitrile

AssigneeGeneral Electric Technology GmbH

InventorsElodie Laruelle, Louis Maksoud, Yannick Kieffel

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Abstract

A method and device for purifying heptafluoroisobutyronitrile and a dilution gas from a used gas mixture comprising heptafluoroisobutyronitrile, a dilution gas and arcing by-products. The method comprising the steps of (a) contacting the used gas mixture with at least one adsorbent material to generate a gas stream depleted in arcing by-products; (b) contacting the gas stream depleted in by-products with a first membrane to obtain a first permeate stream rich in the dilution gas, and a first retentate stream rich in heptafluoroisobutyronitrile; (c) contacting the first permeate stream rich in the dilution gas with a second membrane to obtain a second permeate stream rich in the dilution gas and a second retentate stream rich in heptafluoroisobutyronitrile; and (d) combining the first and second retentate streams rich in heptafluoroisobutyronitrile.

Claims13

Dependent claims

An apparatus for purifying heptafluoroisobutyronitrile and a dilution gas from a used gas mixture comprising heptafluoroisobutyronitrile, a dilution gas and arcing by-products, the apparatus comprising

at least one adsorbent unit configured to remove a first group of arcing by-products from the used gas mixture, yielding a stream depleted from by-products;
a first membrane separation unit configured to separate the used gas mixture depleted from arcing by-products into a first permeate stream and a first retentate stream, wherein the first membrane separation unit comprises a first membrane unit feed inlet, a first membrane unit permeate gas outlet and a first membrane unit retentate gas outlet, wherein the first membrane unit feed inlet is downstream from the at least one adsorbent unit;
a second membrane separation unit configured to separate the first permeate stream into a dilution gas mixture and by-products, wherein the second membrane separation unit comprises a second membrane unit feed inlet, a second membrane unit permeate gas outlet and a second membrane unit retentate gas outlet, wherein the second membrane unit feed inlet is downstream from the first membrane unit permeate gas outlet;
and
a metal organic framework material unit downstream of the first membrane separation unit.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.