Pressure swing adsorption process
AssigneeEngelhard Corporation
InventorsKenneth F. Butwell, William B. Dolan, Steven M. Kuznicki
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A pressure swing adsorption process for the separation of nitrogen from a mixture of of same with methane, utilizing two separate PSA stages, one containing a nitrogen selective adsorbent and the second containing a methane-selective adsorbent. In the process, the first PSA unit containing a nitrogen selective adsorbent forms a product methane stream and a waste stream rich in nitrogen which is passed to a second PSA unit containing a methane selective adsorbent which forms a product nitrogen stream and a waste stream rich in methane. The waste stream rich in methane can be treated to remove heavy hydrocarbons therefrom before the methane is recycled to feed.
Claims20
A pressure swing adsorption (PSA) process for the separation of nitrogen from a mixture of the same with methane which comprises:
- (a) passing a feed stream comprising said mixture to a first PSA unit containing a nitrogen selective adsorbent so as to preferentially adsorb nitrogen and produce a product stream containing at least 90 mol % methane and a purge stream;
- (b) recovering said product stream;
- (c) passing said purge stream to a second PSA unit containing a methane selective adsorbent so as to produce a product stream rich in nitrogen and a purge stream rich in methane;
- (d) recovering said nitrogen-rich product stream;
- and
- (e) treating said purge stream rich in methane so as to remove heavy hydrocarbons from said purge stream rich in methane.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.