PURIFICATION OF ARGON THROUGH LIQUID PHASE CRYOGENIC ADSORPTION

摘要

The invention relates to a process for removing oxygen from liquid argon using a TSA (temperature swing adsorption) cyclical process that includes cooling an adsorbent bed to sustain argon in a liquid phase; supplying the adsorbent bed with a liquid argon feed that is contaminated with oxygen and purifying the liquid argon thereby producing an argon product with less oxygen contaminant than is in the initial liquid argon feed; draining the purified residual liquid argon product and sending purified argon out of the adsorbent bed. Regeneration of specially prepared adsorbent allows the adsorbent bed to warm up to temperatures that preclude the use of requiring either vacuum or evacuation of adsorbent from the bed.