Production of ultrahigh purity oxygen with removal of hydrocarbon impurities

Claim 1

THE METHOD OF PRODUCING ULTRAHIGH PURITY OXYGEN FROM COMMERCIALLY PURE OXYGEN FEED STOCK HAVING A RESIDUE OF LOW BOILING IMPURITIES WHICH COMPRISES IN COMBINATION THE STEPS OF DERIVING A FEED STREAM FROM A SOURCE OF SAID COMMERCIALLY PURE OXYGEN FEED STOCK, COMPRESSING SAID FEED STREAM, COOLING SAID COMPRESSED FEED STREAM TO THE SATURATION POINT, CONDENSING SAID FEED STREAM TO LIQUID IN A CONDENSER DISPOSED IN THE BOTTOM CHAMBER OF A RECTIFICATION COLUMN, ISENTHALPICALLY EXPANDING AND THEREBY COOLING SAID LIQUID STREAM, INTRODUCING SAID COOLED, EXPANDED STREAM INTO THE UPPER PORTION OF SAID RECTIFICATION COLUMN, PERMITTING SAID LIQUID TO TRICKLE DOWN THROUGH A LARGE NUMBER OF CONTACT PLATES IN SAID RECTIFICATION COLUMN IN COUNTERCURRENT WITH VAPOR RISING IN SAID COLUMN FOR PROGRESSIVELY STRIPPING SAID LOW BOILING IMPURITIES FROM SAID LIQUID, WHEREIN THE PRESSURE IN SAID RECTIFICATION COLUMN IS MAINTAINED AT SLIGHTLY ABOVE ATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE, AND WHEREIN THE VAPOR-TO-LIQUID RATIO IN SAID COLUMN IS MAINTAINED IN EXCESS OF ABOUT 0.700, PERMITTING SAID LIQUID TO COLLECT IN A RESERVOIR IN THE BOTTOM OF SAID COLUMN IN EXTERNAL CONTACT WITH THE CONDENSER DISPOSED IN SAID BOTTOM CHAMBER, COMPLETELY REBOILING THE LIQUID COLLECTED IN SAID RESERVOIR IN A HEAT EXCHANGE WITH SAID CONDENSING FEED STREAM, DRAWING OFF A REGULATED PORTION OF THE PURIFIED VAPOR DERIVED FROM SAID REBOILING OPERATION FROM THE LOWER PORTION OF SAID RECTIFICATION COLUMN, AND RETURNING THE BALANCE OF SAID VAPOR INCLUDING SAID LOW BOILING IMPURITIES FROM THE TOP OF SAID RECTIFICATION COLUMN THROUGH A RECYCLE PATH TO REJOIN SAID FEED STREAM.

Claim 2

THE METHOD OF PRODUCING ULTRAHIGH PURITY OXYGEN FROM COMMERCIALLY PURE OXYGEN FEED STOCK HAVING A RESIDUE OF LOW BOILING IMPURITIES WHICH COMPRISES IN COMBINATION THE STEPS OF DERIVING A FEED STREAM FROM A SOURCE OF SAID COMMERCIALLY PURE OXYGEN FEED STOCK, COMPRESSING SAID FEED STREAM, COOLING SAID COMPRESSED FEED STREAM TO THE SATURATION POINT, CONDENSING SAID FEED STREAM TO LIQUID IN A CONDENSER DISPOSED IN THE BOTTOM CHAMBER OF A RECTIFICATION COLUMN, ISENTHALPICALLY EXPANDING AND THEREBY COOLING SAID LIQUID STREAM, INTRODUCING SAID COOLED, EXPANDED STREAM INTO THE UPPER PORTION OF SAID RECTIFICATION COLUMN, PERMITTING SAID LIQUID TO TRICKLE DOWN THROUGH A LARGE NUMBER OF CONTACT PLATES IN SAID RECTIFICATION COLUMN IN COUNTERCURRENT WITH VAPOR RISING IN SAID COLUMN FOR PROGRESSIVELY STRIPPING SAID LOW BOILING IMPURITIES FROM SAID LIQUID, WHEREIN THE PRESSURE IN SAID RECTIFICATION COLUMN IS MAINTAINED AT SLIGHTLY ABOVE ATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE, AND WHEREIN THE VAPOR-TO-LIQUID RATIO IN SAID COLUMN IS MAINTAINED IN EXCESS OF ABOUT 0.700, PERMITTING SAID LIQUID TO COLLECT IN A RESERVOIR IN THE BOTTOM OF SAID COLUMN IN EXTERNAL CONTACT WITH THE CONDENSER DISPOSED IN SAID BOTTOM CHAMBER, COMPLETELY REBOILING THE LIQUID COLLECTED IN SAID RESERVOIR IN A HEAT EXCHANGE WITH SAID CONDENSING FEED STREAM, DRAWING OFF A REGULATED PORTION OF THE PURIFIED VAPOR DERIVED FROM SAID REBOILING OPERATION FROM THE LOWER PORTION OF SAID RECTIFICATION COLUMN, AND RETURNING THE BALANCE OF SAID VAPOR INCLUDING SAID LOW BOILING IMPURITIES FROM THE TOP OF SAID RECTIFICATION COLUMN THROUGH A RECYCLE PATH TO REJOIN SAID FEED STREAM.