Enhanced gas separation process

A process for the enhanced separation of gases comprising:

• (a) contacting a feed gas stream at an elevated pressure with a permeable membrane capable of selectively permeating a first component thereof, thereby obtaining a first component enriched, second component depleted permeate portion of said feed stream at a reduced pressure, and a second component enriched, first component depleted non-permeate portion of said feed stream essentially at said elevated pressure;
• (b) withdrawing said non-permeate gas from the permeable membrane;
• (c) passing said permeate gas to a feed end of an adsorbent bed in a pressure swing adsorption system capable of selectively adsorbing additional amounts of said second component therefrom at an upper adsorption pressure, with unadsorbed, purified first component gas being withdrawn as a high purity gas from a product end of the bed;
• (d) countercurrently depressurizing the bed to a lower desorption pressure and/or purging said bed to desorb and release a first and second component-containing regeneration stream from the feed end of the bed;
• and
• (e) recycling at least a first portion of said regeneration stream for combination with additional quantities of the feed gas stream, whereby the separation of the first component is achieved at a high purity and desirable recovery levels, with said second component being available at a desirably high pressure level.