Low-temperature gas absorption

Claim 1

AN ABSORPTION PROCESS WHICH COMPRISES CHILLING MIXED GASES TO LIQUEFY A MINOR PORTION OF A COMPONENT THEREOF, SEPARATING THE LIQUEFIED PORTION OF SAID COMPONENT FROM SAID MIXED GASES, THEN PASSING SAID MIXED GASES THROUGH A HIGH PRESSURE RICH ABSORPTION ZONE IN COUNTERCURRENT CONTACT WITH A RICH ABSORBER LIQUID WHEREBY THE MAJOR PORTION OF SAID COMPONENT OF SAID MIXED GASES IS ABSORBED TO ENRICH SAID RICH ABSORBER LIQUID WITH A RESULTANT RISE IN LIQUID TEMPERATURE, PASSING RESIDUAL MIXED GASES FROM SAID RICH ABSORPTION ZONE THROUGH A HIGH PRESSURE LEAN ABSORPTION ZONE IN COUNTERCURRENT CONTACT WITH A LEAN ABSORBER LIQUID WHEREBY MORE OF SAID COMPONENT IS ABSORBED TO ENRICH SAID LEAN ABSORBER LIQUID, WARMING ENRICHED LEAN ABSORBER LIQUID BY INDIRECT HEAT EXCHANGE WITH ENRICHED RICH ABSORBER LIQUID WHICH IS THEREBY COOLED, STRIPPING SAID COMPONENT FROM THE WARMED ENRICHED LEAN ABSORBER LIQUID AT A REDUCED PRESSURE, STRIPPING SAID COMPONENT FROM THE COOLED ENRICHED RICH ABSORBER LIQUID AT A REDUCED PRESSURE, PASSING THE STRIPPED LEAN AND STRIPPED REICH ABSORBER LIQUIDS IN INDIRECT HEAT EXCHANGE RELATION WITH ONE ANOTHER, THEREAFTER RETURNING SAID STRIPPED LIQUIDS TO THEIR RESPECTIVE ABSORPTION ZONES, EXPANDING THE SEPARATED LIQUEFIED PORTION OF SAID COMPONENT WITH THE RERFORMANCE OF EXTERNAL WORK TO PRODUCE REFRIGERATION, AND SUPPLYING SAID REFRIGERATION TO SAID ABSORPTION PROCESS.