Production of hydrogen and carbon monoxide
US4861351A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Sep 16, 1987 |
| Grant date | Aug 29, 1989 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Sep 16, 2007 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
- CPC primaryY02P20/151
- WIPO fieldChemical engineering
- WIPO sectorChemistry
Abstract
Substantially pure hydrogen and high purity carbon monoxide are produced and recovered from a methane-rich gas composition, such as natural gas, by subjecting such composition to steam reforming in a first stage at relatively mild conditions, followed by secondary oxidative reforming of the thus obtained primary reformate effecting conversion of residual methane therein to carbon oxides. The secondary reformate, comprised chiefly of hydrogen, CO, and CO.sub.2, is subjected to a novel sequence of operations for separation of these individual components. CO.sub.2 is first removed by solvent absorption, followed by selective adsorption for separation of CO from the CO.sub.2 -freed gas mixture with attendant recovery of hydrogen product of 98.sup.+ % purity as an unsorbed effluent. Trace to small amounts of undesired carbon monoxide in the thus recovered hydrogen product can be converted by catalytic methanation.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.