Recovery of krypton and xenon from liquid oxygen
US11460246B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Dec 18, 2019 |
| Grant date | Oct 4, 2022 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jun 4, 2040 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC F)Mechanical Engineering; Lighting; Heating
- CPC primaryF25J2245/50
- WIPO fieldChemical engineering
- WIPO sectorChemistry
Abstract
Xenon and/or krypton is separated from a liquid oxygen stream comprising oxygen and xenon and/or krypton in a process comprising providing at least a portion of the liquid oxygen stream as a reflux liquid to the top of a rare gas recovery column operated at a pressure of between 5 to 25 bara, vaporizing a reboiler liquid in the reboiling zone in the bottom of the rare gas recovery column to produce a mixture of a rising vapor and a xenon and/or krypton-enriched liquid stream; and contacting the rising vapor with the reflux liquid in at least one distillation zone of the column to effect stripping xenon and/or krypton from the rising vapor to the reflux liquid. The process provides a recovery of xenon of greater than 90% and a krypton recovery of 15% to 90%.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.