Abstract: A process and apparatus for producing a carbon monoxide-containing product from a feed containing hydrogen, carbon monoxide, methane, nitrogen and optionally argon. The carbon monoxide-containing product is produced using a hydrogen stripping column for forming a hydrogen-enriched vapor and a hydrogen-freed liquid, a nitrogen separation fractionator for forming a nitrogen-enriched vapor and a nitrogen-depleted liquid containing carbon monoxide and methane from the hydrogen-freed liquid, and a carbon monoxide/methane separation fractionator for forming the carbon monoxide containing product and a methane-enriched liquid from the nitrogen-depleted liquid. At least part of the nitrogen separation fractionator condenser duty provides the feed vaporization duty and reboiler duty for the carbon monoxide/methane separation fractionator, thereby reducing the energy requirement for the separation.

Abstract: A process for the recovery and purification of ethylene and optionally propylene from a stream containing lighter and heavier components that employs an ethylene distributor column and a partially thermally coupled distributed distillation system.

Abstract: A process for recovering hydrogen from a stream comprised of hydrogen, non-condensable gases, and propane and lighter hydrocarbons, wherein the process comprises the steps of stripping hydrogen and non condensable gases out of the feed light ends stream with methane vapor, washing the stripped hydrogen stream with liquid methane to absorb the non condensable gases, and washing the hydrogen stream with a hydrocarbon lean oil such as liquid ethane to absorb methane, to produce the product hydrogen stream.

Abstract: A purifier process, includes supplying a first stream of a feed gas containing hydrogen and nitrogen in a MOL ratio of about 2/1, and also containing methane, and argon, then cryogenically separating the feed gas into the following: a) a second stream of a synthesis gas containing hydrogen and nitrogen in a MOL ratio of about 3/1, b) waste gas containing principally nitrogen, and also containing substantially all of the methane supplied in the first stream, and splitting the waste gas into: c) a third stream of nitrogen rich gas d) a fourth stream of methane rich gas useful as a fuel, or as a feed to a subsequent process.

Abstract: Method for the recovery of hydrogen and carbon monoxide from a feed gas mixture containing hydrogen, carbon monoxide, methane, and hydrocarbons heavier than methane. The method comprises utilizing a cryogenic methane wash column to recover hydrogen from an intermediate feed stream containing hydrogen, carbon monoxide, methane, and hydrocarbons heavier than methane, wherein the methane wash column utilizes a methane wash stream which contains less than about 5 mole % of hydrocarbons heavier than methane, and wherein the methane wash stream consists of components obtained from the intermediate feed stream.

Abstract: A method for the recovery of hydrogen and one or more hydrocarbons having one or more carbon atoms from a feed gas containing hydrogen and the one or more hydrocarbons, which process comprises cooling and partially condensing the feed gas to provide a partially condensed feed; separating the partially condensed feed to provide a first liquid stream enriched in the one or more hydrocarbons and a first vapor stream enriched in hydrogen; further cooling and partially condensing the first vapor stream to provide an intermediate two-phase stream; and separating the intermediate two-phase stream to yield a further-enriched hydrogen stream and a hydrogen-depleted residual hydrocarbon stream. Some or all of the cooling is provided by indirect heat exchange with cold gas refrigerant generated in a closed-loop gas expander refrigeration cycle.

Abstract: A process and apparatus for separating carbon monoxide and hydrogen from a gaseous mixture thereof. The process comprises separating a cooled and partially condensed stream of feed gas comprising carbon monoxide and hydrogen into hydrogen-rich vapor and carbon monoxide-rich liquid. A portion of the carbon monoxide-rich liquid is at least partially stripped of hydrogen in a hydrogen stripping column, having an operating pressure below the feed pressure to produce hydrogen-stripped carbon monoxide liquid and hydrogen-enriched carbon monoxide vapor. A further portion of the carbon monoxide-rich liquid or a stream derived therefrom is vaporized to provide refrigeration for the feed gas. The vaporized carbon monoxide-rich liquid is compressed in a compressor to below the feed pressure, cooled and partially condensed by heat exchange and at least a portion is recycled to the hydrogen stripping column.

Abstract: The olefin-hydrogen effluent vapor stream from a dehydrogenation process is separated by a cryogenic separation method utilizing a cryogenic separation system. The method does not require external refrigeration and reheats and portions an expander feed stream to extract energy and controls the warm end and cold end temperature differences in the primary heat exchanger to provide energy savings and economical operation and material use.

Abstract: Gas mixtures are separated by cryogenic separation, preferably a cryogenic condensation separation cycle, into at least a first gas mixture and a second gas mixture having at least one component common with the first gas mixture; at least one gas mixture selected from at least a portion of said feed gas mixture and at least a portion of said second gas mixture is subjected to non-cryogenic separation to provide a separated gas rich in said common component; and said separated gas is added to said first gas mixture to contribute to a product gas mixture. It is particularly preferred to also blend a portion of the second gas mixture with the first gas mixture to facilitate, in conjunction with the separated stream, simultaneous control of both the amount and composition of the first gas mixture product.

Abstract: A process for recovering olefins from a gas stream containing olefins and hydrogen. The process comprises compressing the gas stream in at least one compression stage to form a compressed gas stream, contacting the compressed gas stream with a membrane at conditions effective to obtain a permeate stream rich in hydrogen and a retentate stream depleted in hydrogen, and introducing the permeate stream into a pressure swing adsorption system at conditions effective to obtain a nonadsorbed stream rich in hydrogen and a desorbed stream comprising olefins.

Abstract: Hydrogen (4), and carbon monoxide (21) are separated from a gaseous mixture thereof, typically a mixture of essentially hydrogen, carbon monoxide and methane (1) using liquid methane (3) to dissolve carbon monoxide in a methane wash column (2), removing (8) residual hydrogen (15) from the loaded methane wash (6,9), and separating (18) the residual loaded methane into carbon monoxide and methane fractions (21,22). The residual hydrogen (15) is removed in a hydrogen stripping column (8), said column being refluxed with a methane rich scrubbing liquid stream (13) withdrawn from an intermediate location of the methane wash column (2).

Abstract: A process for recovering olefins from a cracking effluent containing olefins and hydrogen. The process comprises compressing the cracking effluent in at least one compression stage to form a compressed cracking effluent, contacting the compressed cracking effluent with a membrane at conditions effective to obtain a permeate stream rich in hydrogen and a retentate stream depleted in hydrogen, and introducing the permeate stream into a pressure swing adsorption system at conditions effective to obtain a nonadsorbed stream rich in hydrogen and a desorbed stream comprising olefins.

Abstract: Light components are stripped from a multicomponent liquid feed mixture in a core type plate-fin heat exchanger by heating and partially vaporizing the mixture during downward flow in one of a plurality of multichannel flow passageways in the exchanger. The vapor thus formed flows upward and promotes vaporization of dissolved light components from the liquid to yield a liquid product substantially free of lighter components. The passageways are disposed in indirect heat exchange with one or more additional groups of passageways, and heat for partial vaporization of the downward-flowing liquid feed mixture is provided by indirect heat exchange with a condensing process stream. Alternatively, this heat is provided by a bottoms stream recovered from distillation of the stripped liquid product withdrawn from the core type plate-fin heat exchanger.

Abstract: In the recovery of a pure CO fraction from a charge containing hydrogen, carbon monoxide and methane from which water and carbon dioxide have optionally been removed, the charge is cooled and partially condensed; and the carbon monoxide is scrubbed out with supercooled liquid methane. The resultant hydrogen is stripped out, and the recovered CO/CH.sub.4 -rich fraction is separated by rectification to obtain a pure CO fraction and a CH.sub.4 -rich fraction. The supercooled liquid methane used as the scrubbing agent contains at least 2 to 15 mol % carbon monoxide, preferably 7 to 10 mol % carbon monoxide. Also, the hydrogen stripper and methane scrubbing column can be combined in a single column.

Abstract: A process and installation for the cryogenic purification of impure hydrogen, of the type in which impure hydrogen is cooled under a low pressure PO to a temperature sufficiently low to condense a predetermined proportion of the impurities, by heat exchange in a thermal heat exchange line (3) with purified hydrogen and with a residual fraction containing the expanded preliminarily condensed impurities (in 11, 12) to a low pressure P1. The remaining cold is supplied by the expansion of purified hydrogen in a turbine (8) with gas bearings and the expanded hydrogen is added to the light impurities expanded at the cold end of the heat exchange line. The turbine (8) is supplied with the gas leaving its bearings (17), after cooling of hydrogen at the labyrinthine seal (18) of the turbine is withdrawn under a pressure slightly less than the interstitial pressure Pi which prevails between the rotor (14) and the stator (16) of this turbine.