Adsorptive separation process

Claim 1

A METHOD FOR SEPARATING HYDROCARBON GAS MIXTURES COMPRISING THE STEPS OF CONTACTING A HYDROCARBON GAS MIXTURE WITH A FIRST ZEOLITIC MOLECULAR SIEVE MATERIAL BEING A MEMBER SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF ANALCITE, GMELINITE, CHABAZIE AND ZEOLITE A, AND ADSORBING A FIRST COMPONENT THEREIN; DISCHARGING FIRST COMPONENT-DEPLETED HYDROCARBON GAS FROM THE FIRST MOLECURLAR SIEVE; THEREAFTER PROVIDING A PURGE GAS CONTAINING AT LEAST ONE COMPONENT WHICH WOULD DELETERIOUSLY EFFECT THE ADSORPTIVE CHARACTERISTIC OF THE FIRST MOLECULAR SIEVE, AND ZEOLITE X MOLECULAR SIEVE MATERIAL HAVING A LARGER PORE SIZE THAN THAT POSSESSED BY SAID FIRST MOLECULAR SIEVE; CONTACTING SAID PURGE GAS WITH THE ZEOLITE X AND ADSORBING THE DELETERIOUS COMPONENT THEREIN; CONTACTING THE DELETERIOUS COMPONENT-DEPLETED PURGE GAS WITH THE FIRST COMPONENT-CONTAINING FIRST MOLECULAR SIEVE THEREBY DESORBING SAID FIRST COMPONENT, DISCHARGING THE FIRST COMPONENT-CONTAINING PURGE GAS FROM THE FIRST MOLECULAR SIEVE.

Claim 2

A METHOD FOR SEPARATING HYDROCARBON GAS MIXTURES COMPRISING THE STEPS OF CONTACTING A HYDROCARBON GAS MIXTURE WITH A FIRST ZEOLITIC MOLECULAR SIEVE MATERIAL BEING A MEMBER SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF ANALCITE, GMELINITE, CHABAZIE AND ZEOLITE A, AND ADSORBING A FIRST COMPONENT THEREIN; DISCHARGING FIRST COMPONENT-DEPLETED HYDROCARBON GAS FROM THE FIRST MOLECURLAR SIEVE; THEREAFTER PROVIDING A PURGE GAS CONTAINING AT LEAST ONE COMPONENT WHICH WOULD DELETERIOUSLY EFFECT THE ADSORPTIVE CHARACTERISTIC OF THE FIRST MOLECULAR SIEVE, AND ZEOLITE X MOLECULAR SIEVE MATERIAL HAVING A LARGER PORE SIZE THAN THAT POSSESSED BY SAID FIRST MOLECULAR SIEVE; CONTACTING SAID PURGE GAS WITH THE ZEOLITE X AND ADSORBING THE DELETERIOUS COMPONENT THEREIN; CONTACTING THE DELETERIOUS COMPONENT-DEPLETED PURGE GAS WITH THE FIRST COMPONENT-CONTAINING FIRST MOLECULAR SIEVE THEREBY DESORBING SAID FIRST COMPONENT, DISCHARGING THE FIRST COMPONENT-CONTAINING PURGE GAS FROM THE FIRST MOLECULAR SIEVE.