Process for the separation of gases by adsorption

Claim 1

A PROCESS FOR INCREASING THE CONCENTRATION OF LIGHT COMPONENTS IN A GASEOUS FEED MIXTURE, SAID MIXTURE INITIALLY COMPRISING HEAVY COMPONENTS AND LIGHT COMPONENTS, SAID HEAVY COMPONENTS FORMING THE MAJOR PORTION OF THE SAID FEED MIXTURE, SAID PROCESS COMPRISING SELECTIVE ADSORPTION AND REMOVAL OF SAID HEAVY COMPONENTS BY THE STEPS OF: ESTABLISHING A BED ZONE OF PREDETERMINED VOLUME OF PREFERENTIALLY HEAVY-COMPONENT ADSORBENT MATERIAL; INTRODUCING SAID GASEOUS FEED MIXTURE INTO SAID BED ZONE WHILE EXIT THEREFROM IS CLOSED; PERFERENTIALLY ADSORBING SAID HEAVY COMPONENTS IN SAID BED, LEAVING SAID MIXTURE IN SAID BED ZONE ENRICHED WITH RESPECT TO SAID LIGHT COMPONENTS; INTRODUCING A DISPLACEMENT AS INTO SAID BED ZONE AND DISPLACING SAID ENRICHED MIXTURE FROM SAID EXIT TO A PREDETERMINED ENRICHED MIXTURE ZONE; MAINTAINING PRESSURE IN SAID BED ZONE WHEREBY SAID HEAVY COMPONENTS REMAIN ADSORBED IN SAID BED DURING SAID DISPLACING OF SAID ENRICHED MIXTURE; SUBSEQUENTLY REMOVING SAID DISPLACEMENT GAS FROM SAID BED ZONE REDUCING SAID PRESSURE THEREIN ALLOWING DESORPTION OF SAID ABSORDED HEAVY COMPONENTS; CONTINUING REMOVAL OF SAID DISPLACEMENT GAS AND DESOBRING REMOVAL OF SAID DISPLACEMENT GAS AND DESAID BED IN REGENERATED FOR REPETITION OF SAID PROCESS; AND DISPLACING SAID HEAVY COMPONENTS AT LEAST TO A PREDETERMINED HEAVY-COMPONENT ZONE DISCRETE FROM SAID PREDETERMINED ENRICHED MIXTURE ZONE.