EP0321163A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Separating argon/oxygen mixtures
Assignee: Air Products and Chemicals Inc
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Filing: 1988-12-09
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2008-12-09
Abstract
Abstract Argon and oxygen are separated from mixtures thereof, optionally with nitrogen, by cryogenic distillation in which liquid and vapor phase streams are intimately contacted using structured packing in at least those regions of the distillation column system where argon concentration is within the range from 0.6 to 75 volume percent, and operating the process such that the densimetric superficial gas velocity in those regions is at least 1.8 cm/sec.
Inventors
- 👤 Douglas Leslie Bennett
- 👤 Keith Alan Ludwig
- 👤 George Shaun Witmer
- 👤 Charles Mitchell Woods
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-02 22:37
CPC Classifications
B; B01; B01D; B01D3/00; B01D3/14; B01D3/32; F; F25; F25J; F25J3/00; F25J3/02; F25J3/04; F25J3/04763; F25J3/04866; F25J3/04896; F25J3/04915; B01D53/00; B01D53/14; F25J3/04406; F25J3/04412; F25J3/04642; F25J3/04648; F25J3/04654; F25J3/04666; F25J3/04672; F25J3/04678; F25J3/04909; B01J; B01J2219/00; B01J2219/32; B01J2219/326; F25J2290/00; F25J2290/10; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S62/00; Y10S62/902; Y10S62/905; Y10S62/906; Y10S62/923; Y10S62/924
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 8
Claim 1
Independent Claim
149 words
A process for the separation of mixtures, which comprise oxygen and argon, by cryogenic distillation, wherein in certain regions of a distillation column system having at least one column, a liquid phase stream containing oxygen and argon, and a vapor phase stream containing oxygen and argon, are intimately contacted thereby allowing mass transfer which enriches the liquid phase stream with oxygen and strips argon from the liquid phase stream, and enriches the vapor phase stream with argon and strips oxygen from the vapor phase stream, characterised in that intimate contact of the liquid and vapor phase streams is effected utilizing a structured packing in at least those regions of the distillation column system where argon concentration is within the range from 0.6 to 75 volume percent, and operating the process such that the densimetric superficial gas velocity in those regions is at least 1.8 cm/sec (0.06 feet per second).
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
149 words
A process for the separation of mixtures, which comprise oxygen and argon, by cryogenic distillation, wherein in certain regions of a distillation column system having at least one column, a liquid phase stream containing oxygen and argon, and a vapor phase stream containing oxygen and argon, are intimately contacted thereby allowing mass transfer which enriches the liquid phase stream with oxygen and strips argon from the liquid phase stream, and enriches the vapor phase stream with argon and strips oxygen from the vapor phase stream, characterised in that intimate contact of the liquid and vapor phase streams is effected utilizing a structured packing in at least those regions of the distillation column system where argon concentration is within the range from 0.6 to 75 volume percent, and operating the process such that the densimetric superficial gas velocity in those regions is at least 1.8 cm/sec (0.06 feet per second).
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
16 words
A process as claimed in Claim 1, wherein said mixture to be separated further comprises nitrogen.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
12 words
A process as claimed in Claim 2, wherein said mixture is air.
Claim 5
Independent Claim
65 words
A method for improving a cryogenic distillation apparatus having at least one distillation column containing distillation trays for the separation of mixtures containing oxygen and argon, comprising the step of replacing said distillation trays with a structured packing in at least those regions of the distillation column system where, in use, the concentration of argon is in the range from 0.6 to 75 volume percent.
Claim 6
Independent Claim
65 words
A method for improving a cryogenic distillation apparatus having at least one distillation column containing distillation trays for the separation of mixtures containing oxygen and argon, comprising the step of replacing said distillation trays with a structured packing in at least those regions of the distillation column system where, in use, the concentration of argon is in the range from 0.6 to 75 volume percent.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
91 words
A cryogenic distillation apparatus for the separation of mixtures containing oxygen and argon having at least one distillation column in which a liquid phase stream containing oxygen and argon is intimately contacted with a vapor phase stream containing oxygen and argon to allow mass transfer enriching the liquid phase with oxygen and the vapor phase with argon, characterised in that at least those regions of the distillation column system where, in use, the concentration of argon is in the range from 0.6 to 75 volume percent are packed with structured packing.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
91 words
A cryogenic distillation apparatus for the separation of mixtures containing oxygen and argon having at least one distillation column in which a liquid phase stream containing oxygen and argon is intimately contacted with a vapor phase stream containing oxygen and argon to allow mass transfer enriching the liquid phase with oxygen and the vapor phase with argon, characterised in that at least those regions of the distillation column system where, in use, the concentration of argon is in the range from 0.6 to 75 volume percent are packed with structured packing.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
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