Patent ID: 6440196
Filing Date: 2002-08-27
Classification: B01D,C01B

Abstract:
Method for purifying a first minority constituent and concentrating the latter in the majority constituent of a gas mixture containing, in addition to said first minority constituent and said majority constituent, one or more other minority constituent(s), said method comprising the succession of following steps:Selective permeation of an initial gas mixture to be treated through a membrane specific to the initial gas mixture, after which a gas mixture is obtained enriched in said first minority constituent and much depleted or only slightly enriched in said other minority constituent(s); Purifying said gas mixture enriched in said first minority constituent derived from the first step, by adsorption at ambient temperature on a solid adsorbent which is a specific adsorbent having a strong affinity for the first minority constituent, then elution, after which a gas mixture is obtained essentially made up of said majority constituent and said first minority constituent, and from which the other minority constituent(s) have been removed, Concentrating said first minority constituent in the majority constituent derived from the second step, by one or more successive adsorption and elution operations on a solid adsorbent which is a specific adsorbent having a strong affinity for the first minority constituent, until an end gas mixture is obtained essentially made up of said majority constituent and said first minority constituent, highly enriched in said first minority constituent relative to said initial gas mixture, and having the desired concentration of said first minority constituent.