# US 5,707,424 A · Process system with integrated gas storage and delivery unit > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 5,707,424 A - Document ID: US5707424A - Status: Granted - Kind: A - Application number: 08/742,856 - Filed: 1996-11-01 - Granted: 1998-01-13 - Earliest claimed: 1994-10-13 - Assignees: Advanced Technology Materials, Inc. - Inventors: Glenn M. Tom; James V. McManus - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US5707424A ## CPC - F17C 11/00: Use of gas-solvents or gas-sorbents in vessels {(absorbing compositions for acetylene C10L3/04; absorbing compositions for hydrogen C01B3/0005)} - B01D 53/0407: {Constructional details of adsorbing systems} - B01D 53/02: by adsorption, e.g. preparative gas chromatography {(solid sorbent compositions B01J20/00, preparation of inorganic compounds or elements C01)} - B01D 53/0454: {Controlling adsorption (controlling temperature swing adsorption B01D53/0462, controlling pressure swing adsorption B01D53/047)} - B01D 2253/102: Carbon - B01D 2253/106: Silica or silicates - B01D 2253/308: Pore size - B01D 2259/4525: for storage and dispensing systems - F17C 2205/0338: Pressure regulators - F17C 2205/0391: inside the pressure vessel - Y10S 95/902: Molecular sieve - F17C: VESSELS FOR CONTAINING OR STORING COMPRESSED, LIQUEFIED OR SOLIDIFIED GASES; FIXED-CAPACITY GAS-HOLDERS; FILLING VESSELS WITH, OR DISCHARGING FROM VESSELS, COMPRESSED, LIQUEFIED, OR SOLIDIFIED GASES (storing fluids in natural or artificial cavities or chambers in the earth B65G5/00; construction or assembling of bulk storage containers employing civil-engineering techniques E04H7/00; variable-capacity gas-holders F17B; liquefaction or refrigeration machines, plants, or systems F25) - B01D: SEPARATION (separating solids from solids by wet methods B03B, B03D; by pneumatic jigs or tables B03B; by other dry methods B07; magnetic or electrostatic separation of solid materials from solid materials or fluids, separation by high-voltage electric fields B03C; centrifuges, vortex apparatus B04; presses per se for squeezing-out liquid from liquid-containing material B30B9/02; treatment of water C02F, e.g. softening by ion-exchange C02F1/42; {arrangements of air intake cleaners in gas turbine plants F02C7/05} ; arrangements or mounting of filters in air-conditioning, air-humidification or ventilation F24F13/28) - Y10S: TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS ## Abstract A process system with an integrated gas storage and delivery unit comprising an adsorption-desorption apparatus, for storage and dispensing of a gas wherein the gas is dispensed by pressure differential desorption of the sorbate gas from the sorbent material. A motive fluid driver, e.g., a pump, blower, compressor, eductor, or the like, is arranged for flowing the dispensed gas to a gas-utilizing unit, such as an ion-implant unit, wastewater treatment unit, gas-liquid contacting chamber, chemical vapor deposition reactor, gas laser assembly, etc. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A process for storage and dispensing of a gas sorbable on a solid-phase physical sorbent medium, said process comprising: providing a storage and dispensing vessel holding a solid-phase physical sorbent medium; adsorbing said gas on said solid-phase physical sorbent medium to yield said gas adsorbed on said solid-phase physical sorbent medium, at an interior pressure not exceeding about one atmosphere in said storage and dispensing vessel; establishing, exteriorly of said storage and dispensing vessel, a pressure below said interior pressure, to effect desorption of at least a portion of said gas from the solid-phase physical sorbent medium as desorbed gas, and flowing said desorbed gas out of the storage and dispensing vessel; and pumping the desorbed gas from the storage and dispensing vessel to a predetermined pressure, wherein said predetermined pressure is higher than the pressure of the desorbed gas flowed out of the storage and dispensing vessel. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) A process according to claim 1, wherein said pumped desorbed gas is pumped to a desorbed gas utilization zone. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) A process according to claim 1, wherein the solid-phase physical sorbent medium comprises a material selected from the group consisting of silica, carbon molecular sieves, alumina, macroreticulate polymers, kieselguhr, carbon, and aluminosilicates. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) A process according to claim 1, wherein the solid-phase physical sorbent medium comprises a crystalline aluminosilicate composition. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) A process according to claim 4, wherein the crystalline aluminosilicate composition has pore size in the range of from about 4 to about 13 Angstroms. ### Claim 6 (depends on 4) A process according to claim 4, wherein the crystalline aluminosilicate composition comprises 5A molecular sieve. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) A process according to claim 1, wherein the solid-phase physical sorbent medium comprises an activated bead carbon material. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) A process according to claim 1, wherein the solid-phase physical sorbent medium is present in said storage and dispensing vessel with a chemisorbent material having a sorptive affinity for contaminants of said sorbate gas therein. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) A process according to claim 8, wherein the chemisorbent material has a sorptive affinity for non-inert atmospheric gas contaminants of said sorbate gas therein. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) A process according to claim 8, wherein the chemisorbent material comprises a scavenger selected from the group consisting of: (A) a scavenger including a support having associated therewith, but not covalently bonded thereto, a compound which in the presence of said contaminant provides an anion which is reactive to effect the removal of said contaminant, said compound being selected from one or more members of the group consisting of: (i) carbanion source compounds whose corresponding protonated carbanion compounds have a pK.sub.a value of from about 22 to about 36; and (ii) anion source compounds formed by reaction of said carbanion source compounds with the sorbate gas; and (B) a scavenger comprising: (i) an inert support having a surface area in the range of from about 50 to about 1000 square meters per gram, and thermally stable up to at least about 250.degree. C.; and (ii) an active scavenging species, present on the support at a concentration of from about 0.01 to about 1.0 moles per liter of support, and formed by the deposition on the support of a Group IA metal selected from sodium, potassium, rubidium, anal cesium and their mixtures and alloys and pyrolysis thereof on said support. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) A process according to claim 1, wherein the sorbate gas comprises an undesired impurity component, and the solid-phase physical sorbent medium is provided in the storage and dispensing vessel together with an impurity scavenger for removal of the impurity component from the sorbate gas. ### Claim 12 A process system, comprising: an adsorption-desorption apparatus, for storage and dispensing of a gas, said apparatus comprising: a storage and dispensing vessel constructed and arranged for holding a solid-phase physical sorbent medium, and for selectively flowing gas into and out of said vessel; a solid-phase physical sorbent medium disposed in said storage and dispensing vessel at an interior gas pressure not exceeding about one atmosphere; a sorbate gas physically adsorbed on said solid-phase physical sorbent medium; a dispensing assembly coupled in gas flow communication with the storage and dispensing vessel, comprising a motive fluid driver constructed and arranged to provide, exteriorly of said storage and dispensing vessel, a pressure below said interior pressure, to effect desorption of sorbate gas from the solid-phase physical sorbent medium, and gas flow of desorbed gas through the dispensing assembly; and a gas utilization unit coupled in gas flow-receiving relationship to the dispensing assembly, for utilization of dispensed gas in said unit. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) A process system according to claim 12, wherein said storage and dispensing vessel has an interior volume, containing said physical sorbent medium, in the range of from about 0.25 liters to about 40 liters, such that the storage and dispensing vessel is manually transportable in character. ### Claim 14 (depends on 12) A process system according to claim 12, wherein the motive fluid driver comprises a device selected from the group consisting of pumps, blowers, fans, turbines, compressors, venturis, eductors, pressure-building circuits, bellows, diaphragms, peristaltic roller circuits, thermally-coupled gas expansion drivers, and vacuum extractors. ### Claim 15 (depends on 12) A process system according to claim 12, wherein said gas utilization unit is selected from the group consisting of ion implant units, gas/liquid contacting units, material doping units, gas sterilization and decontamination units, gas injection decomposition-suppression units, fire and explosion-suppression units, laser units, engines, fuel cells, fluidized beds, gas reaction units, solid/gas reaction units, material surface passivation units, semiconductor manufacturing plants, etching units, oxide formation units, epitaxial growth units, metallization units, planarization units, and chemical vapor deposition reactors. ### Claim 16 (depends on 12) A process system according to claim 12, further comprising a heater operatively arranged in relation to the storage and dispensing vessel for selective heating of the solid-phase physical sorbent medium, to effect thermally-enhanced desorption of the sorbate gas from the solid-phase physical sorbent medium during at least part of the dispensing of said sorbate gas. ### Claim 17 (depends on 12) A process system according to claim 12, wherein the solid-phase physical sorbent medium comprises a material selected from the group consisting of silica, carbon molecular sieves, alumina, macroreticulate polymers, kieselguhr, carbon, and aluminosilicates. ### Claim 18 (depends on 12) A process system according to claim 12, wherein the solid-phase physical sorbent medium comprises a crystalline aluminosilicate composition. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) A process system according to claim 18, wherein the crystalline aluminosilicate composition has pore size in the range of from about 4 to about 13 Angstroms. ### Claim 20 (depends on 18) A process system according to claim 18, wherein the crystalline aluminosilicate composition comprises 5A molecular sieve. ### Claim 21 (depends on 12) A process system according to claim 12, wherein the solid-phase physical sorbent medium comprises an activated bead carbon material. ### Claim 22 (depends on 12) A process system according to claim 12, wherein the solid-phase physical sorbent medium is present in said storage and dispensing vessel with a chemisorbent material having a sorptive affinity for contaminants of said sorbate gas therein. ### Claim 23 (depends on 11) A process system according to claim 11, wherein the chemisorbent material has a sorptive affinity for non-inert atmospheric gas contaminants of said sorbate gas therein. ### Claim 24 (depends on 22) A process system according to claim 22, wherein the chemisorbent material comprises a scavenger selected from the group consisting of: (A) a scavenger including a support having associated therewith, but not covalently bonded thereto, a compound which in the presence of said contaminant provides an anion which is reactive to effect the removal of said contaminant, said compound being selected from one or more members of the group consisting of: (i) carbanion source compounds whose corresponding protonated carbanion compounds have a pK.sub.a value of from about 22 to about 36; and (ii) anion source compounds formed by reaction of said carbanion source compounds with the sorbate gas; and (B) a scavenger comprising: (i) an inert support having a surface area in the range of from about 50 to about 1000 square meters per gram, and thermally stable up to at least about 250.degree. C.; and (ii) an active scavenging species, present on the support at a concentration of from about 0.01 to about 1.0 moles per liter of support, and formed by the deposition on the support of a Group IA metal selected from sodium, potassium, rubidium, and cesium and their mixtures and alloys and pyrolysis thereof on said support. ### Claim 25 An adsorption-desorption apparatus, for storage and on-demand dispensing of a gas sorbable on a solid-phase physical sorbent medium, said apparatus comprising: a storage and dispensing vessel constructed and arranged for holding a solid-phase physical sorbent medium, and for selectively flowing gas into and out of said vessel; a solid-phase physical sorbent medium disposed in said storage and dispensing vessel at an interior gas pressure not exceeding about one atmosphere; a sorbate gas physically adsorbed on said solid-phase physical sorbent medium; a dispensing assembly coupled in gas flow communication with the storage and dispensing vessel, and constructed and arranged to provide, exteriorly of said storage and dispensing vessel, a pressure below said interior pressure, to effect desorption of sorbate gas from the solid-phase physical sorbent medium, and gas flow of desorbed gas through the dispensing assembly; and a selectively actuatable pump coupled to said dispensing assembly for extracting the sorbate gas from the solid-phase physical sorbent medium in the storage and dispensing vessel via desorption of the sorbate gas from the solid-phase physical sorbent medium, pressurizing the desorbed gas and discharging the resultingly pressurized gas.