US 5,096,470 A · Hydrogen and carbon monoxide production by hydrocarbon steam reforming and pressure swing adsorption purification

Abstract

The present invention is directed to a method for producing hydrogen and carbon monoxide from a feed mixture comprising hydrogen, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, and methane by (a) passing the feed mixture through a first pressure swing adsorption system comprising an adsorbent having a greater affinity for carbon dioxide, methane, and carbon-monoxide than for hydrogen, to separate hydrogen from the carbon dioxide, methane, and carbon monoxide, (b) desorbing carbon monoxide, (c) desorbing carbon dioxide and methane, (d) passing the carbon monoxide to a second pressure swing adsorption system comprising an adsorbent having a greater affinity for carbon monoxide than for hydrogen, carbon dioxide, and methane to separate the carbon monoxide from hydrogen, carbon dioxide, and methane, and (e) desorbing carbon monoxide from the adsorbent. In a second embodiment, the invention is directed to a method which comprises (a) pressure swing adsorption in a first stage comprising an adsorbent having a greater affinity for carbon monoxide than for hydrogen, carbon dioxide, and methane, and pressure swing adsorption in a second stage comprising an adsorbent having a greater affinity for carbon dioxide, methane, and carbon monoxide than for hydrogen.

Claims28

Dependent claims

A method for producing hydrogen and carbon monoxide from a feed mixture comprising hydrogen, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, and methane, which comprises the steps of:

(a) passing the feed mixture through a first pressure swing adsorption system containing an adsorption bed comprising an adsorbent having a greater affinity for carbon dioxide, methane, and carbon monoxide than for hydrogen to separate hydrogen as a pure non-adsorbed product and carbon dioxide, methane, and carbon monoxide as an adsorbed fraction;
(b) desorbing carbon monoxide from the pressure swing adsorption system in step (a) to form a carbon monoxide-rich fraction;
(c) desorbing carbon dioxide and methane from the pressure swing adsorption system in step (a) to form a carbon dioxide-rich fraction;
(d) passing the carbon monoxide-rich fraction from step (b) to a second pressure swing adsorption system containing an adsorption bed comprising an adsorbent having a greater affinity for carbon monoxide than for hydrogen, carbon dioxide, and methane to separate carbon monoxide as an adsorbed fraction and hydrogen, carbon dioxide, and methane as a non-adsorbed fraction;
and
(e) desorbing carbon monoxide from the pressure swing adsorption system in step (d) to form a pure carbon monoxide product.

3 more elements

A method for producing hydrogen and carbon monoxide from a feed mixture comprising hydrogen, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, and methane, which comprises the steps of:

(a) providing a pressure swing adsorption system having a first stage and a second stage, wherein the first stage contains an adsorption bed comprising an adsorbent having a greater affinity for carbon monoxide than for hydrogen, carbon dioxide, and methane, the second stage contains an adsorption bed comprising an adsorbent having a greater affinity for carbon dioxide, methane, and carbon monoxide than for hydrogen, and the first and second stages are connected in series and each stage contains an inlet end and an outlet end;
(b) passing the feed mixture through the first stage of the pressure swing adsorption system to separate carbon monoxide as an adsorbed fraction and hydrogen, carbon dioxide, and methane as a non-adsorbed fraction;
(c) passing the non-adsorbed fraction from step (b) through the second stage of the pressure swing adsorption system to separate carbon dioxide and methane as an adsorbed fraction and hydrogen as a non-adsorbed pure product;
(d) desorbing carbon dioxide and methane from the first and second stages of the pressure swing adsorption system to form a carbon dioxide-rich fraction;
and
(e) desorbing carbon monoxide from the first stage of the pressure swing adsorption system to form a pure carbon monoxide product.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Hydrogen and carbon monoxide production by hydrocarbon steam reforming and pressure swing adsorption purification

Life of this patent

Hydrogen and carbon monoxide production by hydrocarbon steam reforming and pressure swing adsorption purification

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims28