One or more specific embodiments disclosed herein includes a method for separating hydrogen from an olefin hydrocarbon rich compressed effluent vapor stream, employing a integrated heat exchanger, multiple gas-liquid separators, external refrigeration systems, and a rectifier attached to a liquid product drum.

The invention relates to a method for separating a liquefiable gas mixture consisting of a plurality of components, comprising at least one first component (K1) and one second component (K2), wherein, under an increased pressure p.sub.1, the first component (K1) has a melting point T*.sub.K1 that is higher than the melting point T*.sub.K2 of the second component (K2). In order to realise a configuration that is as compact as possible, it is provided in accordance with the invention that the method comprises the following steps: converting the gas mixture to a liquid state at a temperature T.sub.0 and a pressure p.sub.0, wherein T*.sub.K2<T.sub.0T*.sub.K1 and p.sub.0<p.sub.1 applies, and wherein the first component (K1) is present in an initial concentration (C0); producing a pressure gradient in the liquefied gas mixture, wherein the increased pressure p.sub.1 prevails at least in a limited spatial region (3) of the liquefied gas mixture, and freeze separation of the first component (K1) occurs.

The invention relates to a method of separating a phosgene- and hydrogen chloride-comprising stream (5), wherein said method comprises conveying the hydrogen chloride- and phosgene-comprising stream (5) into a distillation column (1), withdrawing at the bottom of the distillation column (1) a phosgene-comprising stream (7) and withdrawing at the top of the column an essentially hydrogen chloride-comprising stream (9). At least a portion of the stream (9) withdrawn at the top is compressed and at least partially condensed and at least a portion of the liquid and compressed essentially hydrogen chloride-comprising stream is decompressed and recycled into the top of distillation column (1) as reflux.

The present disclosure provides a method for separating a feed stream in a distillation tower which includes separating a feed stream in a stripper section into an enriched contaminant bottom liquid stream and a freezing zone vapor stream; contacting the freezing zone vapor stream in the controlled freeze zone section with a freezing zone liquid stream at a temperature and pressure at which a solid and a hydrocarbon-enriched vapor stream form; directly applying heat to a controlled freeze zone wall of the controlled freeze zone section with a heating mechanism coupled to at least one of a controlled freeze zone internal surface of the controlled freeze zone wall and a controlled freeze zone external surface of the controlled freeze zone wall; and at least one of destabilizing and preventing adhesion of the solid to the controlled freeze zone wall with the heating mechanism.

The present disclosure provides a method for preventing accumulation of solids in a distillation tower. The method includes introducing a feed stream into a controlled freeze zone section of a distillation tower; forming solids in the controlled freeze zone section from the feed stream; discontinuously injecting a first freeze-inhibitor solution into the controlled freeze zone section toward a location in the controlled freeze zone section that accumulates the solids; and destabilizing accumulation of the solids from the location with the first freeze-inhibitor solution.

A method for separating a feed stream in a distillation tower comprising maintaining a controlled freeze zone (CFZ) section in the distillation tower, receiving a freezing zone liquid stream in a spray nozzle assembly in the CFZ section, wherein the spray nozzle assembly comprises a plurality of outer spray nozzles on an outer periphery of the spray nozzle assembly and at least one inner spray nozzle interior to the outer spray nozzles, wherein each outer spray nozzle is configured to spray the freezing zone liquid stream along a central spray axis, and wherein the central spray axis of at least one of the outer spray nozzles is not parallel to a CFZ wall, and spraying the freezing zone liquid stream through the spray nozzle assembly into the CFZ section to keep a temperature and pressure at which the solid and the hydrocarbon-enriched vapor stream form.

A process and apparatus for the recovery of heavier hydrocarbons from a liquefied natural gas (LNG) stream is disclosed. The LNG feed stream is heated to vaporize at least part of it, then supplied to a fractionation column at a mid-column feed position. A vapor distillation stream is withdrawn from the fractionation column below the mid-column feed position and directed in heat exchange relation with the LNG feed stream, cooling the vapor distillation stream as it supplies at least part of the heating of the LNG feed stream. The vapor distillation stream is cooled sufficiently to condense at least a part of it, forming a condensed stream. At least a portion of the condensed stream is directed to the fractionation column as its top feed. The quantities and temperatures of the feeds to the column are effective to maintain the column overhead temperature at a temperature whereby the major portion of the desired components is recovered in the bottom liquid product from the column.

One or more specific embodiments disclosed herein includes a method for separating hydrogen from an olefin hydrocarbon rich compressed effluent vapor stream, employing an integrated heat exchanger, multiple gas-liquid separators, external refrigeration systems, and a rectifier attached to a liquid product drum.

A method for removing heavy hydrocarbons from a feed gas by: feeding, into an absorber, a top reflux stream and a second reflux stream below the top reflux stream, wherein the absorber produces an absorber bottom product stream and an absorber overhead product stream; depressurizing and feeding the absorber bottom product stream to a stripper to produce a stripper bottom product stream and a stripper overhead product stream; cooling and feeding a portion of the absorber overhead product stream back to the absorber as the top reflux stream; and pressurizing and feeding the stripper overhead product stream back to the absorber as the second reflux stream. Systems for carrying out the method are also provided.

A method and apparatus for producing a purified liquid argon product in which liquid argon having oxygen impurities is produced in a cryogenic air separation plant by separating argon from oxygen within an argon column. An impure liquid argon stream, composed of part of the liquid argon, is purified in an adsorbent bed by adsorbing the oxygen impurities in an adsorbent to produce a purified liquid argon stream that constitutes the purified liquid argon product. During adsorption, the adsorbent bed is maintained at a reduced temperature with a coolant to prevent vaporization of the liquid argon. The bed is then regenerated by draining residual liquid argon from the adsorbent bed, introducing the residual liquid argon back into the air separation plant and then desorbing the oxygen impurities with a regeneration gas. After regeneration, the adsorbent bed is refilled with purified liquid argon prior to being brought back on-line.