Method for recovering hydrogen from light gaseous materials

Claim 1

METHOD FOR CONCENTRATING HYDROGEN WHICH COMPRISES CONTACTING A GASEOUS CHARGE MIXTURE CONTAINING HYDROGEN WITH A HYDROCARBON ABSORPTION MEDIUM IN A PRIMARY ABSORPTION ZONE AT A TEMPERATURE IN THE RANGE OF 400-1000*F. AND A PRESSURE IN THE RANGE OF 200-3000 P.S.I. TO EFFECT ABSORPTION OF AT LEAST A MAJOR PROPORTION OF THE HYDROGEN ABSORPTION ZONE A HYDROGEN-LEAN GASEOUS MIXTURE AND A HYDROGEN-RICH ABSORPTION MEDIUM, CONTACTING THE HYDROGEN-LEAN GASEOUS MIXTURE IN A SECONDARY ABSORPTION ZONE WITH A HEREINAFTER SPECIFIED HYDROCARBON SCRUBBING MEDIUM AT A TEMPERATURE IN THE RANGE OF 50-200*F. AND A PRESSURE IN THE RANGE OF 200-3000 P.S.I. TO EFFECT ABSORPTION OF SUBSTANTIALLY ALL OF THE NONHYDROGEN GASES, REMOVING FROM THE SECONDARY ABSORPTION ZONE A NON-HYDROGEN GASEOUS MIXTURE-RICH SCRUBBING MEDIUM AND A CONCENTRATED HYDROGEN STREAM, STRIPPING ABSORBED GASES FROM THE ENRICHED SCRUBBING MEDIUM, RETURNING THE STRIPPED SCRUBBING MEDIUM TO SAID PRIMARY ABSORPTION ZONE AS SAID ABSORPTION MEDIUM, STRIPPING HYDROGEN FROM THE SAID HYDROGEN-RICH ABOSRPTION MEDIUM IN A STRIPPING ZONE, REMOVING FROM THE STRIPPING ZONE A CONCENTRATE HYDROGEN STREAM AND A HYDROGEN LEAN SCRUBBING MEDIUM, AND RETURN THE HYDROGEN-LEAN SCRUBBING MEDIUM TO SAID SECONDARY ABSORPTION ZONE AS SAID HYDROCARBON SCRUBBING MEDIUM.