Patent ID: 8568513

Claim:
A method of purifying an impure gas mixture comprising an unsaturated hydrocarbon and undesired impurities, the undesired impurities comprising moisture, oxygen, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, and sulfur dioxide, comprising the steps of: a) providing a source of the impure gas mixture; b) providing first, second and third purification cartridges, wherein: 1) the first purification cartridge comprises an oxide of a first metal, 2) the second purification cartridge comprises an oxide of a second metal, the first and second metals being the same or different, and 3) the third purification cartridge comprises a molecular sieve, the first, second and third purification cartridges being in fluid communication; c) allowing the impure gas mixture to flow through the first purification cartridge, thereby oxidizing the oxide of the first metal from an initial oxidation state and eliminating at least some of the oxygen; d) allowing the impure gas mixture to flow through the second purification cartridge, thereby reducing the oxide of the second metal from an initial oxidation state and oxidizing at least some of the carbon monoxide into carbon dioxide; and e) allowing the impure gas mixture to flow through the third purification cartridge, thereby trapping at least some of each of the moisture, carbon dioxide, and sulfur dioxide in the molecular sieve of the third purification cartridge, wherein after steps c, d and e are performed, the impure gas mixture has decreased amounts of carbon monoxide, oxygen, moisture, carbon dioxide, and sulfur dioxide.