US 11,885,562 B2
Method and apparatus for adsorptive distillation for cryogenic argon/oxygen separation
Nicolas Kofman, Paris (FR); David Bednarski, Bures sur Yvette (FR); Bernard Saulnier, La Garenne Colombes (FR); Guillaume Cardon, Igny (FR); and Mikael Wattiau, Palaiseau (FR)
Assigned to L'Air Liquide, Société Anonyme pour l'Etude et l'Exploitation des Procédés Georges Claude, Paris (FR)
Filed by L'Air Liquide, Société Anonyme pour l'Etude et l'Exploitation des Procédés Georges Claude, Paris (FR)
Filed on Mar. 3, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/191,402.
Claims priority of application No. 2002143 (FR), filed on Mar. 3, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2021/0278131 A1, Sep. 9, 2021
Int. Cl. F25J 3/04 (2006.01); B01D 53/08 (2006.01)
CPC F25J 3/04733 (2013.01) [B01D 53/08 (2013.01); F25J 3/044 (2013.01); F25J 3/04636 (2013.01); B01D 2253/108 (2013.01); B01D 2253/204 (2013.01); B01D 2253/25 (2013.01); B01D 2256/18 (2013.01); B01D 2257/102 (2013.01); B01D 2257/104 (2013.01); B01D 2259/40086 (2013.01); C01B 2210/0034 (2013.01); C01B 2210/0045 (2013.01); C01B 2210/0046 (2013.01)] 10 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method for separating argon by cryogenic distillation, in which:
a flow containing argon, oxygen and nitrogen and being richer in argon than the air is sent to a distillation column, and
an argon-rich gas flow is withdrawn at the top of the column,
comprising, mixing a portion of the argon-rich gas flow with beads having a diameter of less than 5 mm to form a gas mixture containing beads, the beads being made of an adsorptive material or coated with an adsorptive material, the adsorptive material being capable of adsorbing oxygen in the presence of argon at the column operating temperatures; condensing the portion of the argon-rich gas flow mixed with the beads and then sending the condensed portion to the top of the column; and withdrawing a bottom liquid containing beads from the column and treating the withdrawn liquid to remove the beads, regenerating the beads removed to remove the adsorbed oxygen and mixing the regenerated beads with the portion of the argon-rich gas flow.