Adsorption process

Claim 2

A heat and mass exchange, pressure and/or thermal swing adsorption process for separating a gaseous mixture containing a more readily adsorbed component, or components, and a less readily adsorbed component, or components, into a first stream that is enriched, relative to said mixture, in respect of said less readily adsorbed component, or components, and a second stream that is enriched, relative to said mixture, in respect of said more readily adsorbed component, or components, wherein the adsorbent bed consists of one or more units formed from an adsorbent material effective to adsorb said more readily adsorbed component, or components, preferentially relative to said less readily adsorbed component, or components, each of said units having a plurality of substantially parallel passages extending therethrough, each unit having at least 20 passages per cm 2 of the cross-sectional area of said unit, the number and cross-sectional area of said passages in each unit being such that each unit has a geometric voidage of not more than 0.45.

Claim 3

A process according to claim 1 wherein at least 50% of the passages in each unit have an effective diameter in the range 0.03 to 2.5 mm.

Claim 4

A process according to claim 1 wherein the geometric voidage GV of each unit is in the range 0.15 to 0.4.

Claim 5

A process according to claim 1 wherein the passages are circular in cross section and are disposed in each unit in a hexagonal pattern with the centre of each passage at the corner of an equilateral triangle, the ratio of the distance between between the centres of adjacent passages in any unit to the diameter of the passages being in the range 1.2 to 2.5.

Claim 6

A process according to claim 1 wherein the adsorbent bed comprises a random packed bed of units of cylindrical configuration with the passages extending through the unit with their axes substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the cylinder, the diameter and length of each unit being in the range 3 to 20 mm and the ratio of the length to the diameter of each unit being in the range 0.5 to 2.

Claim 7

A process according to claim 1 wherein the adsorbent bed is in the form of a single unit, or a close packed stack or assembly of units, with the passages through the, or each, unit being aligned in the direction of flow of gas through the bed.

Claim 8

A process according to claim 6 wherein the adsorbent bed is a close packed assembly of units stacked side-by-side and, optionally, end-to-end, each unit having a polygonal prism external configuration whereby there are no significant spaces between the sides of adjacent units.

Claim 9

A process according to claim 6 wherein the adsorbent bed comprises units stacked end-to-end in layers, and spaces in the range 1 to 5 mm are provided between adjacent layers to prevent access to the passages of one unit from being blocked by a unit of an adjacent layer and to provide for mixing of the gas leaving one layer of units and before entering the next layer.

Claim 10

A process according to claim 6 wherein the adsorbent bed is made from an assembly of units, each unit having a notional cross section diameter in the range 20 to 200 mm, and a ratio of its length to its notional cross section diameter above 1.

Claim 11

A process according to claim 1 for the separation of a feed gas containing components of different adsorbabilities into a first product stream containing the less readily adsorbed component or components and a second product stream containing the more readily adsorbed components or components wherein the adsorbent is arranged as a bed in a cylindrical vessel, and ports are provided for the inlet of the feed gas to the vessel; the outlet of the first product stream from the vessel; and the outlet of the second product stream from the vessel; and provision is made for relative rotation between said ports and said bed, said process comprising, while continuously or intermittently effecting said relative rotation, feeding said feed gas to a first part of the adsorbent bed in communication with the port for the inlet of the feed gas and with the port for the outlet of said first product stream, and removing said first product stream through said outlet therefor, whereby the more readily adsorbed component or components are adsorbed from said feed gas onto the adsorbent of said first part of the adsorbent bed; and, during at least part of the time that said feed gas is fed to said first part of the adsorbent bed, desorbing adsorbed second product stream from a second part of the adsorbent bed, onto which said more readily adsorbed component or components had previously been adsorbed, through said outlet port for said second product stream; and thereafter bringing the first part of the adsorbent bed into communication with the outlet port for the second product stream and desorbing the more readily adsorbed component or components from said first part of the adsorbent bed while feeding said feed gas to the second, or another, part of the adsorbent bed.