EP0075431A1
Expired / Lapsed
EP
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Method of separating one gas from a mixture of gases
Assignee: Monsanto Co
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Filing: 1982-09-14
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2002-09-14
Abstract
Abstract The method of separating one gas from a mixture of gases at a constant purity for use at variable rates and a constant purity wherein the gasmixture is passed through a heat exchanger to a plurality of permeators having permeation membranes more permeable to the one gas than other gases of the mixture. The heat exchanger varies the temperature of the gas mixture prior to contact with the membrane to adjust the permeation rate of the one gas to a desired value within a range of recovery rates, the number of permeators in use being varied to select another range of recovery rates when varying the temperature of the gas mixture is insufficient to maintain a constant purity at the desired rate recovery of the separated gas.
Inventors
- 👤 Stephen Ross Morris
- 👤 John May Van Gelder
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-24 22:26
CPC Classifications
B; B01; B01D; B01D53/00; B01D53/22; B01D53/225; B01D53/227; B01D63/00; B01D63/02; B01D2313/00; B01D2313/22; B01D2313/221
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 10
Claim 1
Independent Claim
179 words
A process for separating one gas at a variable recovery rate and a constant purity from a mixture of gases flowing from a source comprising (a) providing a plurality of permeators connectable to the source, each of said permeators having a membrane more permeable to said one gas than other gases of said mixture; (b) bringing said gas mixture into contact with a feed side of the membrane of one of said permeators to allow said one gas to permeate from said feed side of said membrane to a recovery side of said membrane; (c) recovering the' permeated gas from said recovery side; (d) varying the temperature of the gas mixture to a value within the range of 20 to 80°C prior to contact with the membrane to vary said recovery rate to a desired value within a range of recovery rates; and (e) varying the number of permeators connected to the source to select another range of recovery rates when varying the gas temperature to a predetermined temperature within said range does not maintain said desired recovery rate.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
179 words
A process for separating one gas at a variable recovery rate and a constant purity from a mixture of gases flowing from a source comprising (a) providing a plurality of permeators connectable to the source, each of said permeators having a membrane more permeable to said one gas than other gases of said mixture; (b) bringing said gas mixture into contact with a feed side of the membrane of one of said permeators to allow said one gas to permeate from said feed side of said membrane to a recovery side of said membrane; (c) recovering the' permeated gas from said recovery side; (d) varying the temperature of the gas mixture to a value within the range of 20 to 80°C prior to contact with the membrane to vary said recovery rate to a desired value within a range of recovery rates; and (e) varying the number of permeators connected to the source to select another range of recovery rates when varying the gas temperature to a predetermined temperature within said range does not maintain said desired recovery rate.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
76 words
The process of claim 1 wherein the number of permeators connected to the source is increased when the recovery rate is below said desired recovery rate after the temperature of the gas mixture has been varied upward to about 70 0 C and the number of permeators connected to the source is decreaseed when the recovery rate is above said desired rate after the temperature of the gas mixture has been varied downward to about 4Q°C.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
42 words
The process of claim 1 wherein the temperature of said gas mixture is varied downward when the number of permeators connected to the source is increased, said temperature being varied upward when the number of permeators connected to the source is decreased.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
38 words
The process of claim 3 wherein said rate of recovery is sensed and the gas mixture temperature and the number of permeators connected to said source are varied in response to sensed variations in said rate of recovery.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
38 words
The process of claim 4 wherein varying the temperature of the gas mixture varies the rate of recovery within a range and varying the number of permeators connected to the source changes the range of rate of recovery.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
15 words
The process of claim 5 wherein the membranes are in the form of hollow fibers.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
15 words
The process of claim 6 wherein the temperature range is 40° to 70 o C.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
29 words
The process of claim 7 wherein said one gas is hydrogen and said fibers have a separation factor of at least about 10 for hydrogen over said other gases.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
49 words
The process of claim 8 wherein the fiber is made from a polysulfone polymer and has a hydrogen permeability of at least about 1x10 -6 cubic centimeters of hydrogen per square centimeter of fiber surface at a pressure of 1 centimeter of mercury across the wall of said fiber.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
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