Inert gas purification
AssigneeCeramatec, Inc.
InventorAshok V. Joshi
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Abstract
A method for purifying crude argon is disclosed. Trace amounts of oxygen and/or nitrogen are removable by using a combination of a nitride forming metal and an oxygen ion conducting electrolyte cell. Lithium may be electrolytically recovered from lithium nitride. Alternatively, a reactive metal such as lithium may be utilized to remove trace amounts of both nitrogen and oxygen from crude argon.
Claims19
A method of removing O.sub.2 and N.sub.2 from crude argon comprising:
- contacting said crude argon with a solid oxygen-ion conducting electrolyte under oxygen-ion conducting conditions to remove O.sub.2 from said crude argon;
- contacting said oxygen-depleted crude argon with lithium metal under lithium nitride forming conditions to remove nitrogen and to form lithium nitride;
- recovering said purified argon;
- and electrolytically converting said lithium nitride to reform said lithium metal.
The method of removing O.sub.2 and N.sub.2 from a crude inert gas comprising contacting said crude inert gas directly with a reactive metal under metal oxide as well as metal nitride forming conditions to remove oxygen, nitrogen and trace H.sub.2 O, recovering said purified inert gas and electrolytically converting said metal oxide and metal nitride to reform same into said reactive metal.
A method of separating oxygen from a non-reactive gas comprising contacting said gas with a molten, oxygen-forming metal to form a metal oxide and recovering said metal by use of an electrochemical cell containing a solid-state, metal ion conducting electrolyte.
A method of removing O.sub.2 and N.sub.2 from a crude inert gas selected from the group consisting of argon, helium, zenon, neon comprising:
- contacting said crude inert gas with a solid oxygen-ion conducting electrolyte under oxygen-ion conducting conditions to remove O.sub.2 from said crude inert gas;
- contacting said oxygen-depleted crude argon with a nitrogen-reactive metal under metal nitride forming conditions to remove nitrogen and to form a metal nitride;
- recovering said purified argon;
- and
- electrolytically converting said metal nitride to reform said lithium metal.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.