Patent ID: 7645431

Claim:
A process for the purification of a noble gas containing gas comprising the steps of: (a) passing a first noble gas stream comprising an unacceptable amount of at least one getter combustible through a first metal getter bed comprising a metal getter oxide under conditions for converting the getter combustible to combustion products thereby generating a first effluent stream which is essentially free of said at least one getter combustible and wherein said metal getter is converted to a reduced state; (b) passing a second noble gas stream through a catalytic unit and effecting catalytic combustion of said at least one getter combustible thereby forming an oxidizing stream, said oxidizing stream is essentially free of getter combustible and comprises unreacted oxygen; (c) passing the oxidizing stream formed in step (b) through a second metal getter bed containing a metal getter in reduced state and under conditions for forming a metal getter oxide thereby generating a second effluent stream which is essentially free of oxygen and essentially free of getter combustible; and, (d) switching the flow of said first noble gas stream and said oxidizing stream whereby the oxidizing stream generated in step (b) flows to the first metal getter bed and said first noble gas stream flows to the second metal getter bed.