Process for the production of carbon monoxide

摘要

The process is simplified and the number of items of equipment reduced, whilst maintaining high yield and purity of hydrogen. There are fewer separation columns and the scrubbing column and the distillation column for separating carbon monoxide and methane have been eliminated. The installation for this process requires only two stripping columns and two phase separators The mixture is cooled, partially condensed and sent to a phase separator (A). The condensate goes to a stripping column (B) to give hydrogen gas (H2) at the top and a liquid containing methane and carbon monoxide (CO) at the bottom. The gas is partially condensed in a heat exchanger (K) and separated in a phase separator (H) into H2 and a condensate. The condensate is sent to a stripping column (I) giving a H2 rich gas at the top and a CO rich liquid at the bottom. The gas is heated and recycled to the mixture to be treated. The liquid fraction from the first column can be sent to a purification column (C) to produce pure carbon monoxide at the top and a liquid rich in methane at the bottom. The gas from the first column and from the first separator are sent to a permeation or adsorption unit, or is recycled to the start of the process. The separation energy is supplied by Joule Thomson expansion of the exiting mixture, or by heat exchange with a cryogenic liquid or by injection of a cryogenic liquid into one of the columns.