Process for recovering argon by the low temperature decomposition of air comprises feeding gaseous cooling fluid formed in a vaporization chamber of a condenser-vaporizer into an additional column

摘要

Process for recovering argon by the low temperature decomposition of air comprises feeding gaseous cooling fluid formed in a vaporization chamber of a condenser-vaporizer into an additional column. Process for recovering argon by the low temperature decomposition of air comprises passing process air (1, 3) into a high pressure column (4) of a rectification column system for nitrogen-oxygen separation; relieving an argon-containing stream (28, 29) from a low pressure column (5) of the rectification system for nitrogen-oxygen separation and feeding to a crude argon column (32, 33) operating under a pressure lower than the operating pressure of the low pressure column; feeding a part of the head fraction (37) of the crude argon column into the liquefaction chamber of a condenser-vaporizer (38) and partially liquefying there; collecting a part of the liquefied head fraction as reflux to the crude argon column; introducing a liquid cooling fluid (49) into the vaporization chamber of the condenser-vaporizer and partially vaporizing there; and removing an argon-enriched product (40) from the upper region of the crude argon column and/or from the liquefact ion chamber of the condenser-vaporizer. At least one part of the gaseous cooling fluid formed in the vaporization chamber of the condenser-vaporizer is fed into an additional column (52), and an additional fraction (53) is removed from the column the pressure of the fraction increased and the fraction fed to the rectification column system. An Independent claim is also included for an apparatus for carrying out the above process.