Patent ID: 7516627

Claim:
A method for separating a krypton-xenon concentrate comprising the steps of: separating a krypton-xenon-concentrate flow in a preliminary rectifying column to produce a krypton-fraction flow and a xenon-fraction flow; rectifying the xenon-fraction flow in a xenon rectifying column to produce a purified xenon-fraction flow and a high-boiling-temperature-admixtures flow; producing a purified xenon-fraction flow from an upper zone of the xenon rectifying column; separating the purified xenon-fraction flow in a production-xenon column to produce a production-xenon flow and a xenon-column blowing gases flow; rectifying the krypton-fraction flow in a additional krypton rectifying column to produce a purified krypton-fraction flow and an intermediate admixtures flow; separating the purified krypton-fraction flow in a production-krypton column to produce a production-krypton flow and a krypton-column blowing gases flow; rectifying the krypton-column blowing gases flow in a krypton recovery rectifying column to produce a recovered krypton flow and a low-boiling-temperature-admixtures flow; and directing the xenon-column blowing gases flow and the recovered krypton flow into the preliminary rectifying column for separation, wherein the preliminary rectifying column, the xenon rectifying column, the krypton rectifying column, and the krypton recovery rectifying column are put into operation with krypton supplied to a respective contacting space in each said rectifying column, and wherein said rectifying columns comprise evaporating condensers.