Separation of acetylene from methane cracking gases by means of a selective solvent

Claim 1

THE IMPROVEMENT IN A PROCESS FOR THE SEPARATION AND RECOVERY OF PURE ACETYLENE FROM A GASEOUS MIXTURE OBTAINED UPON PARTIAL COMBUSTION OF METHANE AND COMPRISING C2H2, H2 AND CO AS MAJOR CONSTITUENTS AND CO2, C2H4, CH4, H2, O2 AND HIGHER ACETYLENES AS MINOR CONSTITUENTS, SAID IMPROVEMENT COMPRISING COMPRESSING THE GASEOUS MIXTURE TO ABOUT 13 ATM. AT ABOUT 25*C., SCRUBBING WITH AMMONIA AND SODIUM HYDROXIDE SOLUTIONS TO SUBSTANTIALLY REMOVE CO2 AND HIGHER ACETYLENES, BOILING ABOVE 64*C., COOLING THE COMPRESSED GASEOUS MIXTURE TO 3* TO 4*C. IN A FIRST HEAT EXCHANGE, REMOVING CONDENSED MOISTURE, ADDING METHANOL, COOLING TO -25*C. IN A SECOND HEAT EXCHANGE, SEPARATING METHANOL IN EXCESS OF THE SATURATION POINT AND THEREWITH ADDITIONAL MOISTURE, METHYLACETYLENE, MONOVINYLACETYLENE, ETHYLACETYLENE AND SOME DIACETYLENE, COOLING TO -70* TO -80*C. IN A THIRD HEAT EXCHANGE, REMOVING ALL REMAINING HIGHER ACETYLENES AND PART OF THE ACETYLENE IN A FIRST SCRUBBING STEP WITH