Adsorption systems in heatless fractionation processes

Claim 1

PROCESS FOR THE HEATLESS FRACTIONATION SEPARATION OF HYDROGEN FROM A GASEOUS FEED STREAM COMPRISING HYDROGEN AND HYDROCARBONCOMPOUNDS WHICH CONTAIN ABOUT 1 TO 10 CARBON ATOMS, SAID PROCESS UTILIZING TWO ADSORPTION ZONES TO WHICH NO HEAT IS ADDED OR REMOVED DURING THE PROCESS, SAID TWO ADSORPTION ZONES BEIG CHARACTERIZED BY HAVING A ONE END AND ANOTHER END, SAID PROCESS COMPRISING THE STEPS OF FLOWING SAID FEED STEAM FROM ONE END TO THE OTHER END THROUGH A FIRST ZONE OF ADSORBENTS, CONSISTING OF A FIRST BED OF SILICA GEL ADSORBENT HAVING AN AVERAGE PORE DIAMETER IN THE RANGE FROM ABOUT 100 TO 200 ANGSTROM UNITS AND A SECND BED OF ACTIBATED CHARCOAL ADSORBENT INITIALLY RELATIVELY FREE OF SAID HYDORCARBON COMPOUNDS, AT A PRESELECTED, INITIAL RELATIVELY HIGH PRESSURE IN AN INITIAL CYCL SAID BEDS BEING ARRANGED IN THE ADSORPTION ZONE IN SUCH MANNER THAT THE SILICA GEL ADSORBENT IS ADJACENT SAID ONE END AND SAID ACTIVATED CARBON ADSORBENT IS ADJACENT SAID OTHER END, SAID ADSORBENTS BEING PREFERENTIALLY SELCTIVE FOR SAID HYDROCARBON COMPOUNDS, DISCHARGING A HYDROGEN-ENRICHED STREAM FROM SAID FIRST ZONE AS A PRIMARY EFFLUCENT, SEGREGATING A PORTION OF SAID PRIMARY EFFLUCENT AS A PRODUCT STREAM AND WITHDRAWING THE SAME, PASSING THE REMAINDER OF SAID PRIMARY EFFLUETN FROM THE OTHER END TO THE ONE END THROUGH A SECOND ZONE OF ADSORBENTS AT A RELATIVELY LOW PRESSURE, SAID SECOND ZONE OF ADSORBENTS CONSISTING OF A FIRST BED OF SILICA GEL ADSORBENT HAVING AN AVERAGE PORE DIAMETER IN THE RANGE FROM ABOUT 100 TO 200 ANGSTROM UNITS AND A SECOND BED OF ACTIVATED CHARCOAL ADSORBENT, THE ADSORBENTS BEING ARRANGED IN SAID SECOND ZONE IN SUCH MANNER THAT SAID SILICA GEL ADSORBENT IS ADJACENT SAID ONE END AND SAID ACITVATED CARBON ADSORBENT IS ADJACENT SAID OTHER END, SAID ADSORBENTS IN SAID SECOND ZONE BEING RELATIVELY SATURATED WITH SAID HYDROCARBON COMPOUNDS AS COMPARED WITH SAID FIRST ZONE AT THE START OF SAID INITIAL CYCLE, WHEREBY AS SAID INITIAL CYCLE CONTINUES SAID FIRST ZONE BECOMES RELATIVELY SATURATED WITH SAID HYDROCARBON COMPOUNDS PROGRESSIVELY FROM SAID ONE END TOWARD SAID OTHER END, AND WHEREBY SAID SECOND ZONE BECOMES RELATIVELY FREE OF SAID HYDROCARBON COM-