Reactive purge for solid electrolyte membrane gas separation

摘要

A system and process for producing a high-purity product from a feed stream containing elemental oxygen by applying the feed stream to at least one separator including a feed zone and a permeate zone separated by a solid electrolyte membrane, and driving a portion of oxygen contained in the feed stream from the feed zone to the permeate zone via the membrane by applying to the permeate zone a reactive purge stream containing a reactive gas which combines with oxygen to establish a lower partial pressure of oxygen in that zone. Oxygen-depleted retentate is withdrawn as a high-purity product stream.