Process for producing krypton and Xenon

Claim 1

A process for producing krypton and xenon, comprising the steps of: supplying to a first concentrating column liquid oxygen containing small concentrations of krypton, xenon, and hydrocarbons accumulating in a main condenser evaporator of an air separation plant; rectifying the supplied liquid oxygen for separation into oxygen gas and concentrated liquid containing krypton, xenon and hydrocarbons; vaporizing the concentrated liquid; effecting combustion of the resulting vapor in a catalytic reactor; removing products of the catalitic combustion by adsorption; then rectifying the remaining vapor in a second concentrating column; compressing argon gas; cooling the compressed argon gas in a heat exchanger; transporting part of the cooled argon gas to the first concentration column to heat the concentrated liquid, thereby liquefying the transported argon gas; liquefying the said oxygen gas which separated at the first concentrating column by the use of the said liquefied argon gas in a condenser/vaporizer; transporting the remaining argon gas to a reboiler of the second concentrating column in which the argon gas is liquefied, then vaporizing the liquefied argon in a condensation section of the second concentrating column; transporting the resulting gaseous argon together with the argon gas vaporized in the condenser/vaporizer to the heat exchanger and then recompressing the argon gas; and thereafter recycle the recompressed argon gas in the above steps.