Separation of carbon dioxide from gaseous mixtures

Claim 1

A PROCESS FOR THE SEPARATION OF CARBON DIOXIDE FROM A FEED GAS STREAM COMPRISING AT LEAST 25 PERCENT CARBON DIOXIDE IN ADMIXTURE WITH HYDROGEN WHICH COMPRISES CONTACING SAID MIXTURE IN AN ABSORTION ZONE AT A PRESSURE IN THE RANGE OF 200 TO 1000 P. S. I. G. AND AT A TEM-PERATURE BELOW ABOUT 40* F. WITH A NORMALLY LIQUID LIGHT HYDROCARBON DISTILLATE HAVING AN ASTMOSPHERIC BOILING RANGE WITHIN THE RANGE OF 100 TO 500* F. EFFECTING SUBSTANTIALLY COMPLETE ABSORPTION OF SAID CARBON DIOXIDE IN SAID HYDROCARBON DISTILLATE, DISCHARGEING A GAS RICH IN HYDROGEN AND SUBSTANTIALLY FREE FROM CARBON DIOXDIDE FROM SAID ABSORPTION ZINE, WITHDRAWING FROM SAID ABSORPTION ZONE SAID HYDROCARBON DISTILLASTE CONTAINING SAID ABSORBED CARBON DIOXIDE. REDUCING THE PRESSUREE OF SAID HYDROCARBON DISTILLATE CONTAINING CARBON DIOXIDE TO A PRESSURE NOT ABOVE 50 P. S. I. G. EFFECTING EXPANSION AND TEMPERATURE REDUCTION THEREOF. PASSING EXPANDED HYDROCARBON DISTILLATE AND CARBON DIOXIDE AT REDUCED TEMPERTATURE IN HEAT EXCHANGE WITH HYDROCARBON DISTILLATE FREE FROM CARBON DIOXIDE SUPPLIED TO SAID ABSORPTION ZONE THEREBY REDUCING THE TEMPERATURE OF SAID CARBON DIOXIDE FREE HYDROCARBON DISTILLATE AND WARMING SAID HYDROCARBON DISTILLATE AND CARBON DIOZIDE TO A TEMPERATURE ABOVE ABOUT 40* F. EFFECTING REMORVAL OF CARBON DIOXIDE FROM SAID HYDROCARBON DISTILLATE AT SAID REDUCED PRESSURE, AND RETURNING SAID HYDROCARBON DISTILLATE SUBSTANTILLY FREE FROM CARBON DIOXIDE TO SAID HEAT EXCHANGE STEP AND TO SAID ABSORPTION ZONE.