Kryogenisches Rektifikationssystem zur Herstellung von Argon und Sauerstoff niedriger Reinheit

摘要

The cryogenic process to produce argon and relatively low purity oxygen comprises introducing feed air (60) into a higher pressure rectification column (10) as streams (68, 63). Oxygen-enriched fluid is withdrawn (70) from the column, and part of it (74) is vaporised by heat exchange in the condenser (24) associated with an argon column (14). The resulting stream (43) of oxygen-enriched vapour and liquid is then introduced into the lower portion of a lower pressure rectification column (12). A stream (100) comprising nitrogen and argon is withdrawn from the upper portion of the column (12) and is passed to a stripping column (13), thus providing a stream (102) of argon-enriched fluid which is introduced into the argon column (14). Product argon (92) is withdrawn from the reflux stream (93) provided by the condenser (24), and the relatively low purity oxygen product is withdrawn from the column (12) as a stream (113). Also claimed is the apparatus used in the above process.