US 4,478,621 AGranted

Process for the extraction of carbon monoxide from gas streams

AssigneeLinde Aktiengesellschaft

InventorRainer Fabian

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Abstract

Processes for the separation of carbon monoxide from feed gas streams polluted with nitrogen are disclosed, in which the feed gas streams, which preferably include hydrogen and methane therein, are supplied to a distillation column, and including the steps of distilling the feed gas stream to produce as the sump product a first carbon monoxide stream of substantially pure liquid carbon monoxide, and a distillation gas stream containing nitrogen therein, heating the sump in the lower portion of the distillation column by contact with a second carbon monoxide stream, withdrawing the sump product from the distillation column, expanding the withdrawn sump product to reduce its temperature, cooling the distillation gas stream in the upper portion of the distillation column by contact with at least a portion of the expanded sump product, recycling at least a portion of the first carbon monoxide stream to provide the second carbon monoxide stream, and withdrawing at least a portion of the first carbon monoxide stream as a product stream.

Claims15

Dependent claims

A process for obtaining carbon monoxide by the distillation of a mixiture of carbon monoxide and nitrogen comprising supplying said mixture of carbon monoxide and nitrogen to a distillation column, distilling said mixture of carbon monoxide and nitrogen in said distillation column so as to produce a sump product comprising a first substantially pure stream of liquid carbon monoxide and a head product comprising a distillation gas stream containing said nitrogen therein, heating the sump in the lower portion of said distillation column by contacting said sump with a second carbon monoxide stream, withdrawing said sump product from said distillation column, expanding said sump product withdrawn from said distillation column so as to reduce the temperature thereof, cooling said distillation gas stream in the upper portion of said distillation column by contacting said distillation gas stream with at least a portion of said expanded sump product, recycling at least a portion of said sump product so as to provide said second carbon monoxide stream, and withdrawing at least a portion of said sump as a substantially pure carbon monoxide product stream.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.