Process and apparatus for the chemical conversion of a starting material with integrated low-temperature fractionation of air

摘要

The process and the apparatus serve for the chemical conversion of a starting material and simultaneous production of oxygen and/or hydrogen by low-temperature fractionation of air. Feed air is compressed, purified, cooled and fed to a rectifying system having at least one rectifying column. At least one product stream from the rectifying system is fed to the chemical conversion. Exhaust gases from the chemical conversion are expanded to produce work in a gas turbine and the energy obtained therefrom is used at least in part for the compression of feed air. Mass transfer is effected by a packing in at least one section of the rectifying column or of one rectifying column of the rectifying system.