Process of concentrating acetylene from a gaseous mixture by use of a single solvent

Claim 1

A PROCESS OF SEPARATING ACETYLENE, DIACETYLENE, AND OTHER HEAVY ACETYLENES FROM A MIXTURE CONATINING THESE AND OTHER GASES, INCLUDING THE STEPS OF: INTRODUCING THE GAS MIXTURE INTO A DIACETYLENE ABSORBER COLUMN, MAINTAINING SAID DIACETYLENE ABSORBER COLUMN SUBSTANTIALLY AT ATMOSPHERIC TEMPERATURE AND AT A PRESSURE OF ABOUT 10 ATMOSPHERES, PASSING SAID GAS MIXTURE THROUGH A FIRST QUANTITY OF A SOLVENT IN SAID DIACETYLENE ABSORBER COLUMN TO ABSORB SUBSTANTIALLY ALL OF THE DIACETYLENE THEREFROM AND TO FORM A SECOND GAS MIXTURE SUBSTANTIALLY FREE OF DIACETYLENE; PASSING SAID FIRST QUALITY OF SOLVENT WITH DIACETYLENE ABSORBED THEREIN TO A DIACETYLENE SEPARATOR COLUMN MAINTAINED SUBSTANTIALLY AT ATMOSPHERIC TEMPERATURE AND PRESSURE; IN THE DIACETYLENE SEPARATOR COLUMN SEPARATING THE DIACETYLENE FROM SAID FIRST QUANTITY OF SOLVENT; PASSING SAID FIRST QUANTITY OF SOLVENT SUBSTANTIALLY FREE OF DIACETYLENE FROM SAID DIACETYLENE SEPARATOR COLUMN DIRECTLY BACK TO A COMMON SOURCE OF SAID SOLVENT; PASSING SAID SECOND GAS MIXTURE FROM SAID DIACETYLENE ABSORBER COLUMN INTO AN ACETYLENE ABSORBER COLUMN; MAINTAINING SAID ACETYLENE ABSORBER COLUMN AT A PRESSURE OF ABOUT 10 ATMOSPHERES; IN SAID ACETYLENE ABSORBER COLUMN CONTACTING SAID SECOND GAS MIXTURE WITH A SECOND QUANTITY OF SAID SOLVENT TO ABSORB A SUBSTANIAL PORTION OF THE ACETYLENE AND OTHER GASES CONATINED IN SADI SECOND GAS MIXTURE INCLUDING SUBSTANTIALLY ALL OF THE HEAVY ACETYLENES THEREIN; PASSING SAID SECOND QUANTITY OF SOLVENT CONTAINING A SUBSTANTIAL AMOUNT OF ACETYLENE ABSORBER COLUMN AND SAID OTHER GASES FROM SAID ACETYLENE ABSORBER COLUMN INTO A FIRST RECTIFIER COLUMN; IN SAID FIRST RECTIFIER COLUMN HEATING SAID SECOND QUANTITY OF SOLVENT TO ABOUT 250* F. AT A PRESSURE OF ABOUT 1.5 ATMOSPHERES TO SEPARATE THEREFROM SAID OTHER GASES AND A PORTION OF SAID ACETYLENE CONTAINED THEREIN TO FROM A THIRD GAS MIXTURE; IN SAID FIRST RECTIFIER COLUMN CONTACTING SAID THIRD GAS MIXTURE WITH A THIRD QUANTITY OF SAID SOLVENT TO REMOVE FROM SAID THIRD GAS MIXTURE A PORTION OF THE ACETYLENE CONTAINED THEREIN; MIXING SAID SECOND AND THIRD QUANTITIES OF SOLVENT IN SAID FIRST RECTIFIER COLUMN TO FROM A SOLVENT MIXTURE; PASSING SAID SOLVENT MIXTURE FROM SAID FIRST RECTIFIER COLUMN INTO A SECOND RECTIFIER COLUMN; IN SAID SECOND RECTIFIER COLUMN HEATING SAID SOLVENT MIXTURE TO A TEMPERATURE IN EXCESS OF THE TEMPERATURE EMPLOYED IN SAID FIRST RECTIFIER COLUMN, TO SEPARATE THEREFROM SUBSTANTIALLY ALL OF THE ACETYLENE AND A SMALL PORTION OF HEAVY ACETYLENES CONTAINED THEREIN TO FROM A FOURTH GAS MIXTURE CONTAINING PRINCIPALLY ACETYLENE AND A SMALL QUANTITY OF HEAVY ACETYLENES; IN SAID SECOND RECTIFIER COLUMN RE FLUXING SAID FORTH GAS MIXTURE WITH A FOURTH QUANTITY OF SAID SOLVENT TO REMOVE FROM SAID FOURTH GAS MIXTURE SUBSTANTIALLY ALL OF SAID HEAVY ACETYLENES CONTAINED THEREIN; AND PASSING ACETYLENE SUBSTANTIALLY FREE OF SAID HEAVY ACETYLENES FROM SAID SECOND RECTIFIER COLUMN TO A POINT OF STORAGE OR USE.