Purification of fluids by adsorption

A process for purifying a mixture of a specific fluid component and at least one impurity comprising subjecting said mixture to a temperature swing adsorption process having an adsorption step which comprises passing said mixture in vapor form upwardly through at least one bed of adsorbent which adsorbs said at least one impurity more strongly than said specific fluid component while simultaneously flowing downwardly through said at least one bed of adsorbent said specific fluid component in liquid form, and passing purified specific fluid component out through the top of said bed of adsorbent, the temperature of said at least one bed of adsorbent at the beginning of said adsorption step being between the bubble point and the dew point of said mixture, said adsorption process being conducted under conditions such that substantially no impurity-containing specific fluid component liquid passes out through the top of said bed of adsorbent.

A temperature swing adsorption process for purifying an argon stream which contains nitrogen as an impurity, comprising passing a liquid-vapor mixture of said argon stream or a mixture of said argon stream in vapor form and substantially pure liquid argon upwardly through a bed of nitrogen-selective adsorbent at a temperature between the bubble point and the dew point of the argon stream, and passing purified argon out through the top of said bed of adsorbent, said adsorption process being conducted under conditions such that substantially no nitrogen-containing liquid argon passes out through the top of said bed of adsorbent.

A temperature swing adsorption process for purifying an argon stream which contains nitrogen as an impurity, comprising passing said argon stream in vapor form upwardly through a bed of nitrogen-selective adsorbent while simultaneously passing substantially pure argon liquid downwardly through said bed of nitrogen-selective adsorbent at a temperature between the bubble point and the dew point of the argon stream, and passing purified argon out through the top of said bed of adsorbent, said adsorption process being conducted under conditions such that substantially no nitrogen-containing liquid argon passes out through the top of said bed of adsorbent.

A temperature swing adsorption process for purifying an argon stream which contains oxygen as an impurity, comprising passing a liquid-vapor mixture of said argon stream or a mixture of said argon stream in vapor form and substantially pure liquid argon upwardly through a bed of oxygen-selective adsorbent at a temperature between the bubble point and the dew point of the argon stream and passing purified argon out through the top of said bed of adsorbent, said adsorption process being conducted under conditions such that substantially no oxygen-containing liquid argon passes out through the top of said bed of adsorbent.

A temperature swing adsorption process for purifying an argon stream which contains oxygen as an impurity, comprising passing said argon stream in vapor form upwardly through a bed of oxygen-selective adsorbent while simultaneously passing substantially pure argon liquid downwardly through said bed of oxygen-selective adsorbent at a temperature between the bubble point and the dew point of the argon stream, and passing purified argon out through the top of said bed of adsorbent, said adsorption process being conducted under conditions such that substantially no oxygen-containing liquid argon passes out through the top of said bed of adsorbent.

A temperature swing adsorption process for purifying an argon gas-liquid mixed phase stream which contains up to about 3 volume % nitrogen and up to about 5 volume % oxygen as impurities, comprising the step of passing said argon stream, at a temperature between the bubble point and the dew point of the argon stream, first upwardly through a nitrogen-selective adsorbent and then upwardly through an oxygen-selective adsorbent, and passing purified argon out through the top of said bed of oxygen-selective adsorbent, said adsorption process being conducted under conditions such that substantially no nitrogen- or oxygen-containing liquid argon passes out through the top of said bed of oxygen-selective adsorbent.

A process for producing an argon product stream containing not more than about 5 ppm each of nitrogen and oxygen from air comprising the steps of:

• (a) cryogenically distilling said air, thereby producing an argon-rich stream containing not more than about 3% of nitrogen and not more than about 5% oxygen;
• and
• (b) subjecting said argon-rich stream to a temperature swing adsorption process comprising the step of adsorbing nitrogen and oxygen from said argon-rich stream by passing said argon-rich stream, at a temperature between the bubble point and the dew point of said argon-rich stream and an absolute pressure of 1 to 20 atmospheres, first upwardly through a nitrogen-selective adsorbent and then upwardly through an oxygen-selective adsorbent.