PRODUCTION OF HYDROGEN AND CARBON MONOXIDE

摘要

Substantially pure hydrogen and high purity carbon monoxide are produced and recovered from a methane-rich gas composition, such as natural gas, by subjecting such composition to steam reforming (106) in a first stage at relatively mild conditions, followed by secondary oxidative reforming (110) of the thus obtained primary reformate effecting conversion of residual methane therein to carbon oxides. The secondary reformate, comprised chiefly of hydrogen, CO, and CO2, is subjected to a novel sequence of operations for separation of these individual components. CO2 is first removed by solvent absorption (120), followed by selective adsorption (140) for separation of CO from the CO2-freed gas mixture with attendant recovery of hydrogen product of 98<+>% purity as an unsorbed effluent. Trace to small amounts of undesired carbon monoxide in the thus recovered hydrogen product can be converted by catalytic methanation.