Patent ID: 6082134
Filing Date: 2000-07-04
Classification: C01B,F25J,Y10S

Abstract:
In a process for separating hydrogen and carbon monoxide from a gaseous mixture thereof comprising:(a) scrubbing the gaseous mixture or a gaseous fraction thereof with a liquid methane wash stream in a methane wash column to provide a gaseous hydrogen product stream and a liquid CO-loaded methane stream;(b) separating said CO-loaded methane stream into a gaseous hydrogen-rich stream and a liquid CO/methane stream in a hydrogen stripping column refluxed with a methane-rich liquid;(c) separating said CO/methane stream into a gaseous carbon monoxide stream and a liquid methane stream; and(d) recycling at least part of the liquid methane stream separated from the carbon monoxide stream in step (c) to provide the wash liquid for step (a);the improvement consisting in that said methane-rich liquid stream is withdrawn from an intermediate location of the methane wash column above the level of removal of said liquid CO-loaded stream therefrom.