Refrigerant recycling system

A method of removing a chemical in a gaseous state from a chemical system having a gas line and pressurized with said gas, utilizing an apparatus comprising a vessel having a chamber capable of maintaining a pressurized gas therein, gas inlet means for directing gaseous chemical to and from said chamber, and connection means for connecting said gas inlet to a chemical system containing said chemical, a solid absorbent comprising a metal salt capable of forming a complex compound with said gaseous chemical which is capable of alternatively absorbing and desorbing said gaseous chemical and secured in heat exchange communication with a plurality of heat exchange conduits, said metal salt comprising a metal halide, oxide, sulfate, sulfite, nitrate, nitrite or oxalate in which the metal is an alkali metal, alkaline earth metal, transition metal, aluminum, or zinc,

• a double metal salt in which the two metals are selected form strontium, sodium, aluminum, silver, gold, calcium, magnesium and cobalt,
• ammonium chloride, or
• a double metal salt in which one metal is an alkali or alkaline earth metal, and
• a plurality of heat exchange conduits exposed in said chamber for directing heat exchange fluid therethrough and fluid inlet and outlet means communicating exteriorly of said vessel for directing said heat exchange fluid to and from said conduits during said adsorption and said desorption, said method comprising:
• connecting said gas inlet means of said apparatus to a gas line of said system, connecting the fluid inlet means of said apparatus to a source of cooling fluid having a temperature between about -30.degree. C. and about 60.degree. C., and
• concurrently introducing said gas from said system into said chamber of said apparatus while directing said cooling fluid through said heat exchange conduits, and adsorbing said gaseous chemical on the solid absorbent in an exothermic absorption reaction while continuing to direct cooling fluid through said heat exchange conduits.

A method of removing ammonia from a chemical system utilizing an apparatus comprising a vessel having pressure sealed chamber and a gas inlet means for being connected to said system containing said ammonia, a solid absorbent salt capable of forming a complex coordinated compound with said ammonia, which compound is capable of absorbing at least 25% ammonia, by weight of said compound, and wherein said salt is secured tin heat exchange communication with the exterior of each of a plurality of heat exchange conduits, and heat exchange means exposed in said sealed chamber comprising a plurality of heat exchange conduits and having a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet, said fluid inlet including means for being connected to a fluid supply source for directing a heat exchange fluid through said conduits, said method comprising:

• feeding ammonia from said system to the sealed chamber of said apparatus and concurrently supplying cooling fluid at a temperature of between about -30.degree. C. and about 60.degree. C. through the heat exchange conduits of said apparatus whereby said ammonia is adsorbed on said salt in an exothermic reaction,
• continuing to supply cooling fluid through said heat exchange conduits while feeding ammonia into said pressure sealed chamber, and
• selectively terminating said ammonia removal by disconnecting communication between said sealed chamber and said refrigeration system and terminating the supply of cooling fluid through said heat exchange conduits of said apparatus.

A method of supplying a chemical system with a chemical, in a gaseous state, utilizing an apparatus comprising a vessel having a chamber capable of maintaining a pressurized gas therein, gas inlet means for directing gaseous chemical to and from said chamber, and connection means for connecting said gas inlet to a chemical system, a solid adsorbent comprising a metal salt capable of forming a complex compound with said gaseous chemical which is capable of alternatively adsorbing and desorbing said gaseous chemical and secured in heat exchange communication with a plurality of heat exchange conduits, said metal salt comprising a metal halide, oxide, sulfate, sulfite, nitrate, nitrite or oxalate in which the metal is an alkali metal, alkaline earth metal, transition metal, aluminum, or zinc,

• a double metal salt in which the two metals are selected form strontium, sodium, aluminum, silver, gold, calcium, magnesium and cobalt,
• ammonium chloride, or
• a double metal salt in which one metal is an alkali or alkaline earth metal, and
• said solid adsorbent having said chemical adsorbed thereon and capable of being desorbed therefrom, a plurality of heat exchange conduits exposed in said chamber from directing heat exchange fluid therethrough, and fluid inlet and outlet means communicating exteriorly of said vessel for directing said heat exchange fluid to and from said conduits, said method comprising:
• connecting the fluid inlet means of said apparatus to a source of heating fluid having a temperature sufficient to induce desorption of said chemical in a gaseous state from said solid adsorbent, connecting the gas inlet means of said apparatus to a source of heating fluid having a temperature sufficient to induce desorption of said chemical in a gaseous state from said solid adsorbent, connecting the gas inlet means of said apparatus with a gas line of said chemical system, directing said heating fluid through said heat exchange conduits to desorb said chemical from said solid adsorbent, and supplying said desorbed chemical to said chemical system.