Method for adsorbing and separating argon and hydrogen gases in high concentration from waste ammonia purge gas, and apparatus therefor

Abstract

A method for recovering argon and hydrogen simultaneously from a feed mixture comprising argon, hydrogen, methane, nitrogen, ammonia, and moisture by passing a two stage adsorption separation (PSA). The feed gas including 4-6% hydrogen is sent to the first stage PSA to obtain a product hydrogen during the first period of adsorption step, and to obtain an intermediate product of argon and hydrogen mixture during the next period of adsorption step. The adsorbed gases are evacuated and sent to fuel gas. The intermediate product argon and hydrogen mixture is sent to the second stage adsorption bed. The effluent of adsorption step is recovered as another product hydrogen. After the adsorption step, the second stage adsorber is undergone concurrent blowdown, pressure equalization, argon recovery, argon purge, desorption production of argon, pressure equalization, pressurization with product hydrogen. Through such cyclic operation of two-stage PSA, high purity argon and hydrogen are recovered simultaneously.

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