A method of separating a feed stream in a distillation tower. Vapor is permitted to rise upwardly from a distillation section of the distillation tower. A feed stream is introduced into a controlled freeze zone section of the distillation tower, the controlled freeze zone section being situated above the distillation section. The feed stream is released above a level of a liquid retained by a melt tray assembly in the controlled freeze zone section. Vapor from the distillation section is directed into the liquid retained by the melt tray assembly. A solid is formed from the feed stream in the controlled freeze zone section.

A process for separating a mixed or raw gas feed to produce a dry gas product and a hydrocarbon liquid product is provided. The process comprises scrubbing heavier hydrocarbon components from the gas feed to produce a lighter ends gas stream and a heavier ends liquid stream; cooling the lighter ends gas stream and separating the cooled lighter ends gas stream into a cold liquid stream and the dry gas product; and using the cold liquid stream to assist in scrubbing the heavier hydrocarbon components from the gas feed.

Methods and apparatus for the production of ultra high purity carbon monoxide having a carbon dioxide content of 0.1 ppm or less is disclosed. Carbon dioxide is removed from a product stream using a reversing heat exchanger to freeze the carbon dioxide out of the product stream, This provides the ultra high purity carbon monoxide product which meets the requirements of the electronic industry applications.

In a hydrogen liquefaction process, a hydrogen-rich gas originating from an apparatus for separation by distillation and/or stripping and/or partial condensation, the gas exiting from the separation apparatus at a temperature of at most 103K containing at least 99.9 mol % of hydrogen and at a pressure between 20 and 30 bar, is sent to a hydrogen liquefier, without having heated the hydrogen-rich gas to a temperature above 0 C.

In a process for the combined production of a) a hydrogen-enriched gas and a carbon monoxide-enriched gas and/or b) a mixture of hydrogen and carbon monoxide by cryogenic distillation and scrubbing, a still liquor is extracted from a scrubbing column and sent to a stripping column, a still liquor is extracted from the stripping column and sent to a separating column for carbon monoxide and methane and a cooling fluid is used at a pressure greater than that of the head of the separating column for cooling at least one fluid extracted at an intermediate level from the scrubbing column.

In a process of the separation of a mixture of carbon monoxide, hydrogen and methane, the mixture is sent to a scrubbing column, a bottom liquid withdrawn at the bottom of the scrubbing column is depleted in hydrogen with respect to the mixture and is sent to a stripping column, a bottom liquid from the stripping column is sent to a separation column and a liquid enriched in methane withdrawn from the bottom of the separation column is vaporized in order to form a final product.

Processes and systems are provided for recovering a liquid natural gas (LNG) stream from a hydrocarbon-containing feed gas stream using a single closed-loop mixed refrigerant cycle. In particular, the processes and systems described herein can be used to separate methane from carbon monoxide and hydrogen, which are common components in synthesis gas and other hydrocarbon-containing gases.

The invention relates to a method for treating a mixture in order to separate carbon dioxide and hydrogen from said mixture, in which: i) the mixture is cooled and partially condensed and a first liquid is separated from the rest of the mixture in a first phase separator; ii) a gas from or derived from a gas from the first phase separator is treated in a hydrogen pressure swing adsorption module in order to produce a hydrogen-rich gas and a hydrogen-depleted residual gas; and iii) said hydrogen-depleted residual gas or a gas derived from said depleted gas is cooled and partially condensed and a second liquid is separated from the remaining gas in a second phase separator, separate from the first phase separator, wherein the first and/or second liquid being rich in carbon dioxide. The invention also relates to an installation for implementing such a method.

In a process for the cryogenic separation of a feed mixture of at least carbon monoxide, hydrogen and methane, the feed mixture is separated in a methane wash column fed by a liquid methane stream at the top of the methane wash column to produce a gas enriched in hydrogen, a liquid stream from the bottom of the methane wash column is treated to produce a mixture of carbon monoxide and methane, the mixture of carbon monoxide and methane is separated in a separation column to produce a gas enriched in carbon monoxide and a liquid methane flow at least part of which forms a purge stream, the purge stream being varied to take account of load variations.

A process for preparing methanol by a methanol synthesis reaction of carbon dioxide with hydrogen may involve a distillation step and a condensation step following the synthesis of a crude methanol. A volatile component and water may be separated off from a methanol-containing product stream, and a gas stream containing a volatile component that has been separated off may be discharged at least partially as offgas. At least part of the gas stream that has been separated off may be recirculated into the methanol synthesis reaction. A plant for preparing methanol can store or utilize electric power generated from renewable energy sources and provide facilities for discharging the offgas stream, which can be purified by catalytic after-combustion. Alternatively, the plant can be configured without discharge of an offgas substream, or the offgas streams are so small that they can be released without treatment into the environment at a suitable position.