US 4,861,351 AGranted

Production of hydrogen and carbon monoxide

AssigneeAir Products and Chemicals, Inc.

InventorsDavid M. Nicholas, Jeffrey A. Hopkins, Joseph P. Bushinsky

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Abstract

Substantially pure hydrogen and high purity carbon monoxide are produced and recovered from a methane-rich gas composition, such as natural gas, by subjecting such composition to steam reforming in a first stage at relatively mild conditions, followed by secondary oxidative reforming of the thus obtained primary reformate effecting conversion of residual methane therein to carbon oxides. The secondary reformate, comprised chiefly of hydrogen, CO, and CO.sub.2, is subjected to a novel sequence of operations for separation of these individual components. CO.sub.2 is first removed by solvent absorption, followed by selective adsorption for separation of CO from the CO.sub.2 -freed gas mixture with attendant recovery of hydrogen product of 98.sup.+ % purity as an unsorbed effluent. Trace to small amounts of undesired carbon monoxide in the thus recovered hydrogen product can be converted by catalytic methanation.

Claims8

Dependent claims

The method of producing indivdiual high purity streams of hydrogen and carbon monoxide which comprises:

(a) subjecting a gas feed rich in methane to two-stage reforming wherein said feed undergoes reaction with steam in the first stage and further reaction in the presence of added oxygen in said second stage, thereby producing a mixed gas composition containing hydrogen and carbon monoxide as key components accompanied by carbon dioxide and minor gaseous contaminants,
(b) subjecting said mixed gas composition to absorptive contact with a solvent selective in dissolving carbon dioxide, cooling the undissolved substantially C.sub.2 -free gaseous remainder of said composition to a temperature effective for condensation of water vapor contained therein,
(c) separating condensed water from the remaining vapor and passing said vapor at superatmospheric pressure as feed through a bed of solid adsorbent selective for sorption of carbon monoxide, thereby recovering hydrogen as an unsorbed primary effluent discharged from said adsorbent bed, and
(d) recovering the sorbed carbon monoxide from said bed by desorption at reduced pressure.

1 more element

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 07/097,573Filed 16 Sep 1987
Granted: 29 Aug 1989
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification29 codes

B01D 53/0476
Pressure swing adsorption: vacuum pressure swing adsorption
B01D 53/1475
Removing acid components: removing carbon dioxide
C01B 3/382
Using catalysts: processes with two or more reaction steps, of which at least one is catalytic, e.g. steam reforming and partial oxidation
C01B 3/52
Separation of hydrogen or hydrogen-containing gases from gaseous mixtures, e.g. purification: by contacting with liquids; Regeneration of used liquids