Process for separating a binary gas mixture by contact with an adsorbent

Claim 1

A PROCESS FOR SEPARATING A BINARY GAS MIXTURE BY MEANS OF AN ADSORBENT CAPABLE OF ADSORBING, AT A GIVEN TEMPERATURE, THE TWO COMPONENT GASES AT HIGH BUT UNEQUAL SPEEDS, AND CAPABLE OF BEING SUBSTANTIALLY DEGASSED AT THE SAME TEMPERATURE MERELY BY THE ACTION OF VACUUM, COMPRISING THE STEPS OF: (A) INTRODUCING THROUGH A FIRST ZONE IN A CHAMBER FILLED WITH ADSORBENT PREVIOUSLY DEGASSED IN VACUO, AND WHICH ADSORBENT-FILLED CHAMBER COMMUNICATES THROUGH A SECOND ZONE THEREO WITH A SUBSTANTIALLY ADSORBENT-FREE HOLLOW CLOSED RECEIVING CHAMBER, AT LEAST AS SOON AS THE PRESSURE IN SAID SECOND ZONE EXCEEDS A PREDETERMINED VALUE, A GIVE QUANTITY OF GAS MIXTURE, UNDER A PRESSURE SUCH THAT ITS SPEED OF FLOW THROUGH THE ADSORBENT IS SUFFICIENTLY HIGH TO PREVENT ADSORPTION EQUILIBRIUM FROM BEING ESTABLISHED BETWEEN THE ADSORBED GAS AND THE UNADSORBED GAS, BUT RELATIVELY LOW AS COMPARED WITH THE SPEED OF ADSORPTION OF THE MORE RAPIDLY ADSORBED GAS, UNTIL THE PRESSURE HAS BEEN EQUALIZED IN SAID FIRST ZONE AND IN SAID RECEIVING CHAMBER; (B) INTERRUPTING IMMEDIATELY THE INTRODUCTION OF THE GAS MIXTURE, DISCONNECTING THE ADSORBENT-FILLED CHAMBER FROM THE RECEIVING CHAMBER; AND (C) SEPARATELY WITHDRAWING GAS FRACTIONS PRESENT IN THE RECEIVING CHAMBER AND IN THE ADSORBENT-FILLED CHAMBER BY SUBJECTING AT LEAST THE LATTER TO THE ACTION OF A VACUUM.