Patent ID: 8728200

Claim:
A method for recycling a work gas used for a thermal reactive process, the method comprising: coupling a pump to a furnace through a first valve, the furnace being configured to perform a thermal reactive process; connecting a condenser to the pump through a second valve; coupling a scrubber to the pump through a third valve and alternatively to the condenser through a fourth valve; pumping down the furnace before the thermal reactive process with the second valve closed and the third valve opened; supplying a process gas including a work gas mixed with one or more carrier gases for the thermal reactive process in the furnace with the first valve closed, the work gas being characterized by a first boiling point higher than a highest boiling point of any of the one or more carrier gases; pumping down the furnace after the thermal reactive process to at least partially remove remaining process gas with the second valve and fourth valve opened and the third valve closed; operating the condenser to liquefy the work gas at a temperature below the first boiling point and above the highest boiling point of any of the one or more carrier gases; and transferring the liquefied work gas to a boiler for converting the liquefied work gas to a vapor, the vapor being part of the work gas for forming the process gas.