The invention relates to a process for the recovery and recycling of the iodine from aqueous solutions comprising iodine-comprising aromatic compounds in which the iodine contained in said aromatic compounds is directly converted into molecular iodine at a pH lower than 1, in the absence of a catalyst.

A crude helium stream is recovered from a natural gas feed by distillation. Refrigeration from expanding a portion of the bottoms liquid is used to partially condense the helium-enriched overhead vapor and generate a crude helium vapor and a helium-containing liquid stream that is recycled to the distillation column to maximize helium recovery. The helium-depleted natural gas stream can be returned at pressure for utilization or transportation.

A method of removing buffer gas from a mixture comprising the buffer gas and hyperpolarized noble gas is described. The method includes reacting the buffer gas to produce a reaction product different to the buffer gas. The buffer gas may be reactively removed by one or more of oxidation, reduction, polymerization and binding reactions with solid surfaces. The buffer gas may be molecular hydrogen and/or molecular nitrogen. Apparatus for carrying out the method are also disclosed.

A separation membrane structure comprises a porous support, and a separation membrane formed on the porous support. The separation membrane has an average pore diameter of greater than or equal to 0.32 nm and less than or equal to 0.44 nm. The separation membrane includes addition of at least one of a metal cation or a metal complex that tends to adsorb nitrogen in comparison to methane.

A method and system for purification of helium and CO.sub.2 from a stream containing at least Helium, CO2, nitrogen or methane uses a combination of cryogenic, membrane and adsorption technologies.

A process for purification of a carbon dioxide feedstock that includes carbon dioxide and gaseous and liquid C.sub.1+ hydrocarbons. Specifically, a carbon dioxide feedstream is passed through one or more separation unit, each separation unit removing one or more C.sub.1+ hydrocarbon from the carbon dioxide feedstream to provide a richer carbon dioxide gas stream. The one or more separation unit employs an adsorption media and has an adsorption step and a media regeneration step.

Processes and apparatuses for providing a high purity hydrogen stream by removing hydrocarbons with a thermal swing adsorption process. An adsorbent is used to remove the hydrocarbons and provide a product stream that is an enriched hydrogen stream. A portion of the product stream is heated and used as a purge stream to desorb the hydrocarbons from the adsorbent. A contaminated stream including hydrogen and the hydrocarbons is cooled and separated in a gaseous stream and a liquid steam. The vapor stream is mixed with the feed stream. A blower may be used with the vapor stream.

A method for recovering a helium product or intermediate product, wherein a first natural gas stream containing helium is supplied to a first natural gas processing unit and at least one second natural gas stream containing helium is supplied to at least one second natural gas processing unit, at least the first natural gas processing unit comprising helium recovery means via which the helium product is formed from at least a part of the first natural gas stream. At least temporarily a helium transfer from the at least one second natural gas stream to the first natural gas stream by means of a helium transfer arrangement comprising a membrane unit is performed before the first natural gas stream is provided to the first natural gas processing unit and before the at least one second natural gas stream is provided to the at least one second natural gas processing unit.

The present disclosure relates to a cross-linked thermally rearranged polymer membrane and a method for preparing the same. The cross-linked thermally rearranged polymer membrane prepared according to the present disclosure has fluorine atoms distributed in a cross-linked thermally rearranged polymer membrane so as to have a concentration gradient from the surface and is formed into a three-layer structure consisting of a fluorine deposition layer, a transition layer and a thermally rearranged polymer base layer, thereby having remarkably increased selectivity as compared to the existing commercialized gas separation membrane and, particularly, enabling helium to be separated with high purity and recovery rate from a natural gas well, etc. even with a small membrane area, and thus being commercializable.

The invention provides a process for producing a fermentable gas stream from a gas source that contains one or more constituent which may be harmful to the fermentation process. To produce the fermentable gas stream, the gas stream is passed through a specifically ordered series of removal modules. The removal modules remove and/or convert various constituents found in the gas stream which may have harmful effects on downstream removal modules and/or inhibitory effects on downstream gas fermenting microorganisms. At least a portion of the fermentable gas stream is preferably capable of being passed to a bioreactor, which contains gas fermenting microorganisms, without inhibiting the fermentation process.