METHODS FOR TWO-STEP FRACTIONATION SEPARATION OF INERT GASES FROM TAIL GASES AND APPARATUS THEREFOR Russian patent published in 2014 - IPC F25J3/02 

FIELD: chemistry.

SUBSTANCE: method of separating inert gases from gases containing argon, xenon, krypton, nitrogen and hydrogen includes cooling a starting gas stream, cooling and separating via two-step fractionation to obtain liquid separation products: argon, krypton-xenon mixture, and gaseous separation products: nitrogen and a nitrogen-hydrogen mixture. The first fractionation step includes preliminary separation to obtain a reflux. The reflux obtained at the first fractionation step is used for refluxing at the second fractionation step. Before fractionation at the second step, a large portion of the gas stream after cooling undergoes preliminary separation into a gaseous fraction, which is condensed and separated, and a liquid fraction - a reflux, which is returned to the first fractionation step and then fed for supercooling before use for refluxing at the second fractionation step. The smaller portion of the gas stream is compressed before cooling. The smaller portion of the gas stream is cooled in three steps and said portion is filtered between the second and third cooling steps.

EFFECT: reduced harmful emissions and enabling extraction of inert gases from tail gases with maximum output of argon.

10 cl, 1 dwg