CRYOGENIC PRODUCTION OF KRYPTON AND XENON FROM AIR

摘要

PATENT 211PUS04361 The present invention relates to a process for the production of krypton and xenon from a cryogenic air separation unit. The present invention simultaneously concentrates krypton and xenon while rejecting more than 90% of the methane present in the feed stream. The feed to the process is a liquid oxygen stream which is withdrawn from the main distillation column system of the air separation unit. The improvement of the present invention is the discovery that an optimum liquid to vapor flow is required in the oxygen enriching section of the krypton/xenon column. The optimum range is between 0.05 and 0.2, more preferably about 0.1.