초록 ▼

Method for the separation of a gas mixture comprising providing a PSA system with at least one adsorber vessel containing adsorbent material that is selective for the adsorption of carbon monoxide and nitrogen, passing a feed gas mixture containing at least hydrogen and carbon monoxide and optionall

Method for the separation of a gas mixture comprising providing a PSA system with at least one adsorber vessel containing adsorbent material that is selective for the adsorption of carbon monoxide and nitrogen, passing a feed gas mixture containing at least hydrogen and carbon monoxide and optionally containing nitrogen through the adsorbent material in a feed step and withdrawing a purified hydrogen product from the adsorber vessel, wherein the feed step has a duration or feed time period of about 30 seconds or less. The adsorbent material is characterized by any of (1) a Henry's law constant for carbon monoxide between about 2.5 and about 5.5 (mmole/g)/atm; (2) a carbon monoxide heat of adsorption between about 6.0 and about 7.5 kcal/gmole; (3) a Henry's law constant for nitrogen greater than about 1.5 (mmole/g)/atm; and (4) a selectivity of carbon monoxide to nitrogen between about 5.0 and about 8.0.

대표청구항 ▼

The invention claimed is: 1. A method for the separation of a gas mixture comprising (a) providing a feed gas mixture containing at least hydrogen and carbon monoxide and optionally containing nitrogen; (b) providing a pressure swing adsorption system having a plurality of adsorber vessels, each ve

The invention claimed is: 1. A method for the separation of a gas mixture comprising (a) providing a feed gas mixture containing at least hydrogen and carbon monoxide and optionally containing nitrogen; (b) providing a pressure swing adsorption system having a plurality of adsorber vessels, each vessel having an inlet and an outlet; (c) providing a bed of adsorbent material disposed within each adsorber vessel, wherein the adsorbent material is selective for the adsorption of carbon monoxide and nitrogen; and (d) initiating a feed step that comprises (1) introducing the feed gas mixture into the inlet of the adsorber vessel, passing the feed gas mixture through the bed of adsorbent material wherein at least a portion of the carbon monoxide is adsorbed by the adsorbent material and wherein, if nitrogen is present in the gas mixture, at least a portion of the nitrogen is adsorbed by the adsorbent material; and (2) withdrawing a purified hydrogen product from the outlet of the adsorber vessel; (e) continuing the feed step for a feed time period of about 30 seconds or less; and (f) terminating the feed step; wherein the adsorbent material is characterized by any of (1) a Henry's law constant for carbon monoxide between about 2.5 and about 5.5 (mmole/g)/atm; (2) a carbon monoxide heat of adsorption between about 6.0 and about 7.5 kcal/gmole; and (3) a selectivity of carbon monoxide to nitrogen between about 5.0 and about 8.0. 2. The method of claim 1 wherein the adsorbent material comprises a binder and type 5A zeolite that is 70% to 95% calcium exchanged. 3. The method of claim 1 wherein the adsorbent material is binderless and comprises type 5A zeolite that is 60% to 91% calcium exchanged. 4. The method of claim 1 wherein the feed gas mixture contains hydrogen, carbon monoxide, and nitrogen and is provided by passing a reformer gas containing hydrogen, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrogen through a bed of activated carbon to remove essentially all of the carbon dioxide and methane from the reformer gas. 5. The method of claim 1 wherein each adsorber vessel comprises an additional bed of adsorbent material disposed between the inlet of the adsorber vessel and the bed of adsorbent material that is selective for the adsorption of carbon monoxide and nitrogen, wherein the additional bed of adsorbent material is selective for the adsorption of methane and carbon dioxide. 6. The method of claim 5 wherein the pressure swing adsorption system has four parallel adsorber vessels and each adsorber vessel is subjected in turn to the cyclic process steps comprising (1) introducing a reformer gas containing hydrogen, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrogen during the feed time period into the inlet of a first adsorber vessel, passing the reformer gas through the beds of adsorbent material and adsorbing therein methane, carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, and nitrogen from the reformer gas, and withdrawing the purified hydrogen product from the outlet of the adsorber vessel; (2) depressurizing the first adsorber vessel by withdrawing a first depressurization gas from the outlet thereof and introducing the first depressurization gas into the outlet of a second adsorber vessel that is being repressurized; (3) further depressurizing the first adsorber vessel by withdrawing a second depressurization gas from the outlet thereof and introducing the second depressurization gas into the outlet of a third adsorber vessel that is being purged; (4) further depressurizing the first adsorber vessel by withdrawing a waste gas from the inlet thereof; (5) purging the first adsorber vessel by introducing into the outlet thereof a second depressurization gas provided by a fourth adsorber vessel and withdrawing from the inlet of the first adsorber vessel a purge waste gas; (6) pressurizing the first adsorber vessel by introducing into the outlet thereof a first depressurization gas provided by the second adsorber vessel; (7) further pressurizing the first adsorber vessel by introducing a portion of the reformer gas into the inlet thereof; and (8) repeating steps (1) through (7) in a cyclic manner. 7. The method of claim 6 wherein the pressure of the reformer gas is between about 15 and 800 psig. 8. The method of claim 5 wherein the pressure swing adsorption system has five parallel adsorber vessels and each adsorber vessel is subjected in turn to the cyclic process steps comprising (1) introducing a reformer gas during the feed time period into the inlet of a first adsorber vessel, passing the reformer gas through the beds of adsorbent material and adsorbing therein methane, carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, and nitrogen from the reformer gas, and withdrawing the purified hydrogen product from the outlet of the adsorber vessel; (2) depressurizing the first adsorber vessel by withdrawing a first depressurization gas from the outlet thereof and introducing the first depressurization gas into the outlet of a second adsorber vessel that is being repressurized; (3) further depressurizing the first adsorber vessel by withdrawing a second depressurization gas from the outlet thereof and introducing the second depressurization gas into the outlet of a third adsorber vessel that is being repressurized; (4) further depressurizing the first adsorber vessel by withdrawing a third depressurization gas from the outlet thereof and introducing the third depressurization gas into the outlet of a fourth adsorber vessel that is being purged; (5) further depressurizing the first adsorber vessel by withdrawing a fourth depressurization gas from the outlet thereof and introducing the fourth depressurization gas into the outlet of the fourth adsorber vessel that is being repressurized; (6) further depressurizing the first adsorber vessel by withdrawing a waste gas from the inlet thereof; (7) purging the first adsorber vessel by introducing into the outlet thereof a third depressurization gas provided by a fifth adsorber vessel and withdrawing from the inlet of the first adsorber vessel a purge waste gas; (8) pressurizing the first adsorber vessel by introducing into the outlet thereof a fourth depressurization gas provided by the fifth adsorber vessel; (9) further pressurizing the first adsorber vessel by introducing into the outlet thereof a second depressurization gas provided by the second adsorber vessel; (10) further pressurizing the first adsorber vessel by introducing into the outlet thereof a first depressurization gas provided by the third adsorber vessel and introducing feed gas into the inlet of the first adsorber vessel; (11) further pressurizing the first adsorber vessel by introducing a portion of the reformer gas into the inlet thereof; and (12) repeating steps (1) through (11) in a cyclic manner. 9. The method of claim 8 wherein the pressure of the reformer gas is between about 15 and 800 psig. 10. A method for the separation of a gas mixture comprising (a) providing a reformer gas containing hydrogen, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrogen; (b) providing a pressure swing adsorption system having a plurality of adsorber vessels, each vessel having an inlet and an outlet; (c) providing a first bed of adsorbent material disposed within each adsorber vessel, wherein the first bed of adsorbent material is selective for the adsorption of carbon monoxide and nitrogen, and providing a second bed of adsorbent material disposed between the inlet of the adsorber vessel and the first bed of adsorbent, wherein the second bed of adsorbent material is selective for the adsorption of methane and carbon dioxide; (d) initiating a feed step that comprises (1) introducing the reformer gas into the inlet of the adsorber vessel, passing the reformer gas consecutively through the second bed of adsorbent material and the first bed of adsorbent material, and (2) withdrawing a purified hydrogen product from the outlet of the adsorber vessel; (e) continuing the feed step for a feed time period of about 30 seconds or less; and (f) terminating the feed step; wherein the adsorbent material in the first bed is characterized by any of (1) a Henry's law constant for carbon monoxide between about 2.5 and about 5.5 (mmole/g)/atm; (2) a carbon monoxide heat of adsorption between about 6.0 and about 7.5 kcal/gmole; (3) a selectivity of carbon monoxide to nitrogen between about 5.0 and about 8.0. 11. The method of claim 10 wherein the pressure swing adsorption system has four or more adsorber vessels. 12. The method of claim 10 wherein the adsorbent material in the first bed comprises a binder and type 5A zeolite that is 70% to 95% calcium exchanged. 13. The method of claim 10 wherein the adsorbent material in the first bed is binderless and comprises type 5A zeolite that is 60% to 91% calcium exchanged. 14. The method of claim 10 wherein the adsorbent material in the first bed comprises activated carbon impregnated with CuCl. 15. The method of claim 10 wherein the adsorbent material in the second bed comprises activated carbon.