초록 ▼

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 obt

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 CO2, is subjected to a novel sequence of operations for separation of these individual components. CO2 is first removed by solvent absorption, followed by selective adsorption for separation of CO from the CO2-freed gas mixture with attendant recovery of hydrogen product of 98+% 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.

대표청구항 ▼

The method of producing indivdiual high purity streams of hydrogen and carbon monoxide which comprises: (a) subjecting a gas feed rich in methane to two-stage reforming wherein said feed undergoes reaction with steam in the first stage and further reaction in the presence of added oxygen in said sec

The method of producing indivdiual high purity streams of hydrogen and carbon monoxide which comprises: (a) subjecting a gas feed rich in methane to two-stage reforming wherein said feed undergoes reaction with steam in the first stage and further reaction in the presence of added oxygen in said second stage, thereby producing a mixed gas composition containing hydrogen and carbon monoxide as key components accompanied by carbon dioxide and minor gaseous contaminants, (b) subjecting said mixed gas composition to absorptive contact with a solvent selective in dissolving carbon dioxide, cooling the undissolved substantially C2-free gaseous remainder of said composition to a temperature effective for condensation of water vapor contained therein, (c) separating condensed water from the remaining vapor and passing said vapor at superatmospheric pressure as feed through a bed of solid adsorbent selective for sorption of carbon monoxide, thereby recovering hydrogen as an unsorbed primary effluent discharged from said adsorbent bed, and (d) recovering the sorbed carbon monoxide from said bed by desorption at reduced pressure.