Patent ID: 7018444

Claim:
A process for purifying at least one carbon dioxide-containing stream from a batch process tool, comprising: (a) removing at least one contaminated stream containing at least carbon dioxide, one or more co-solvents and one or more contaminants from said batch process tool, and reducing the pressure of said contaminated stream producing a multi-phase contaminated stream; (b) conveying said multi-phase contaminated stream to an intermediate pressure separator operating at a pressure between about 200-900 psig; (c) separating the multi-phase contaminated stream into an intermediate pressure carbon dioxide-enriched vapor stream and intermediate pressure solvent and contaminant-enriched stream in said intermediate pressure separator; (d) wherein the intermediate pressure solvent and contaminant-enriched stream is removed from said intermediate pressure separator and is conveyed to a low pressure separator; and (e) separating the solvent and contaminent enriched stream of step (d) into a low pressure carbon dioxide enriched vapor stream and a low pressure solvent and contaminant enriched stream in said low pressure separator operating at approximate ambient pressure.