PSA with adsorbents sensitive to contaminants

An adsorption apparatus that produces at least one product fluid enriched in a first component relative to a second component from a feed fluid using an adsorption process, the feed fluid including at least the first and second components, comprising:

• at least one adsorber having a feed end and a product end, and including at least one contaminant-sensitive adsorbent material used to produce the at least one product fluid, the at least one adsorber including a layer of guard material;
• at least one process containment seal located proximal to the product end of the at least one adsorber operable to control flow of at least one contaminant to the at least one contaminant-sensitive adsorbent material included in the at least one adsorber;
• and
• at least one primary seal or a static seal that defines a buffer space.

An adsorption apparatus that produces at least one product fluid enriched in a first component relative to a second component from a feed fluid comprising at least the first and second components, the apparatus comprising:

• plural adsorbers rotatable by a rotor relative to a stator, the stator and rotor mutually defining a rotary valve surface, each absorber having a feed end, a product end, at least one contaminant-sensitive adsorbent material used to produce at least one product fluid, and a guard material;
• at least one process containment seal located proximal to the product end of an adsorber and operable to control flow of at least one contaminant to the at least one contaminant-sensitive adsorbent material;
• and
• at least one primary seal or static seal that defines a buffer space that contains blanket fluid and/or is fluidly coupled to a blanket fluid source.