Patent ID: 6735980
Filing Date: 2004-05-18
Classification: C01B,C07C,F25J,Y10S

Abstract:
A method for recovering krypton and xenon from air which comprises:(a) separating an air feed stream into oxygen-enriched and nitrogen-enriched product streams; (b) reacting the oxygen-rich product stream with a hydrocarbon feed in a synthesis gas generation process to yield a synthesis gas stream comprising hydrogen, carbon oxides, krypton, and xenon, which synthesis gas stream contains essentially no oxygen; (c) introducing the synthesis gas stream into a synthesis gas conversion process and converting the synthesis gas stream into a liquid synthesis product stream and an unreacted synthesis gas stream; (d) recycling a portion of the unreacted synthesis gas stream to the synthesis gas conversion process; and (e) separating another portion of the unreacted synthesis gas stream into a purge gas stream and a gas product stream enriched in krypton and xenon.