Patent ID: 8529664

Claim:
A process for removing a target gas component from a gas mixture containing said target gas component and a product gas component, which process comprises: a) conducting said gas mixture to a turboexpander wherein the volume of said gas mixture is expanded, thereby lowering its pressure; b) conducting said lowered pressure gas mixture from said turboexpander to a swing adsorption gas separation unit wherein said gas separation unit contains an adsorbent contactor comprised of an effective microporous adsorbent material for removing at least a portion of said target gas component from said gas mixture by adsorbing at least a portion of said target gas component onto said adsorbent material; c) producing a product gas stream with a lower mol % of said target gas component than said gas mixture and a higher mol % of said product gas component than said gas mixture; d) collecting said the product gas stream; e) desorbing at least a portion of the adsorbed target gas component from said adsorbent material, thereby resulting in a waste gas stream which has a higher mol % of said target gas component than said gas mixture; and f) collecting said waste gas stream; wherein the product gas component is CH 4 and the gas mixture is comprised of natural gas.