Methods for separating ozone

A method for the continuous production of ozone and recovery of oxygen in a purge cycle adsorption process having four adsorbent beds, in which the first, second, third and fourth beds each cycle sequentially through the following steps in an overlapping cycle:

• a) Feeding an oxygen and ozone mixture from an ozone generator to a first bed, wherein ozone is adsorbed in the first bed and non-adsorbed oxygen passes through the first bed and is recycled back to the ozone generator;
• b) Receiving rinse gas in a counter current direction to step a) from a third bed in step d) thereby desorbing ozone from the first bed to a customer process;
• c) Feeding a nitrogen-rich purge gas in the counter current direction to step a) thereby desorbing the remaining ozone from the first bed to the customer process;
• d) Feeding the oxygen and ozone mixture from the ozone generator to the first bed in the same direction as in step a) whereby ozone is adsorbed in the first bed and non-adsorbed oxygen rinse gas displaces the nitrogen-rich purge gas from the first bed and feeds the displaced nitrogen-rich purge gas to a third bed now in step b), preparing the first bed to repeat step a);
• e) Feeding an oxygen and ozone mixture from an ozone generator to a second bed, wherein ozone is adsorbed in the second bed and non-adsorbed oxygen passes through the second bed and is recycled back to the ozone generator;
• f) Receiving rinse gas in a counter current direction to step e) from a fourth bed in step h) thereby desorbing ozone from the second bed to a customer process;
• g) Feeding a nitrogen-rich purge gas in the counter current direction to step e) thereby desorbing the remaining ozone from the second bed to the customer process;
• h) Feeding the oxygen and ozone mixture from the ozone generator to the second bed in the same direction as in step e) whereby ozone is adsorbed in the second bed and non-adsorbed oxygen rinse gas displaces the nitrogen-rich purge gas from the second bed and feeds the displaced nitrogen-rich purge gas to a fourth bed now in step f), preparing the second bed to repeat step e);
• wherein steps e) to h) are offset in time from steps a) to d) such that the beginning of steps a) and c) overlap with the end of steps e) and g) and the end of steps a) and c) overlap with the beginning of steps e) and g).