A process chamber, such as for semiconductor processing equipment, is connected with a recovery unit. The recovery unit includes a first storage tank for buffer gas and a second storage tank for rare gas. Both storage tanks are connected with a column in the recovery unit. The recovery unit and process chamber can operate as a closed system. The rare gas can be transported at a variable flow rate while separation in the recovery unit operates at a constant flow condition.

A process for recovering at least one fluid (e.g. xenon gas and/or krypton gas, etc.) from a feed gas can include utilization of a compression system, primary heat exchanger unit, a pre-purification unit (PPU), and other units to separate and recover at least one desired fluid. In some embodiments, fluid flows output from a first heat exchanger or separation system of the plant can be split so that a portion of a stream is output for downstream processing to purify xenon (Xe) and/or krypton (Kr) product flow(s) while another portion of the stream is recycled to a compression system or the PPU to undergo further purification and heat exchange so that the product output for downstream processing has a higher concentration of Xe or Kr. Some embodiments can be configured to provide an improved recovery of Xe and/or Kr as well as an improvement in operational efficiency.

Embodiments of a krypton recovery method and apparatus are provided. The method and apparatus involves removing contaminants from a krypton containing waste gas to yield a krypton containing effluent gas; compressing and cooling the krypton containing effluent gas to yield a nearly saturated vapor krypton containing effluent. The krypton containing vapor effluent.is partially condensed in a reboiler and the resulting stream is rectified in a crude distillation column to yield the crude krypton. The crude krypton to further refined is a separate cryogenic distillation system and process to produce a refined krypton product.

A system and method for argon and nitrogen extraction and liquefaction from a low-pressure tail gas of an ammonia production plant is provided. The preferred tail gas of the ammonia production plant comprises methane, nitrogen, argon, and hydrogen. The disclosed system and method provides for the methane rejection via rectification and hydrogen rejection by way of a side stripper column or phase separator. The resulting nitrogen and argon containing stream is separated and liquefied in a double column distillation system.

A process chamber, such as for semiconductor processing equipment, is connected with a recovery unit. The recovery unit includes a first storage tank for buffer gas and a second storage tank for rare gas. Both storage tanks are connected with a column in the recovery unit. The recovery unit and process chamber can operate as a closed system. The rare gas can be transported at a variable flow rate while separation in the recovery unit operates at a constant flow condition.

A system and method for recovery of rare gases such as neon, helium, xenon, and krypton in an air separation unit is provided. The rare gas recovery system comprises a non-condensable stripping column linked in a heat transfer relationship with a xenon-krypton column via an auxiliary condenser-reboiler. The non-condensable stripping column produces a rare gas containing overhead that is directed to the auxiliary condenser-reboiler where most of the neon is captured in a non-condensable vent stream that is further processed to produce a crude neon vapor stream that contains greater than about 50% mole fraction of neon with the overall neon recovery exceeding 95%. The xenon-krypton column further receives two streams of liquid oxygen from the lower pressure column and the rare gas containing overhead from the non-condensable stripping column and produces a crude xenon and krypton liquid stream and an oxygen-rich overhead.

A system and method for recovery of rare gases such as neon, helium, xenon, and krypton in an air separation unit is provided. The rare gas recovery system comprises a non-condensable stripping column linked in a heat transfer relationship with a xenon-krypton column via an auxiliary condenser-reboiler. The non-condensable stripping column produces a rare gas containing overhead that is directed to the auxiliary condenser-reboiler where most of the neon is captured in a non-condensable vent stream that is further processed to produce a crude neon vapor stream that contains greater than about 50% mole fraction of neon with the overall neon recovery exceeding 95%. The xenon-krypton column further receives two streams of liquid oxygen from the lower pressure column and the rare gas containing overhead from the non-condensable stripping column and produces a crude xenon and krypton liquid stream and an oxygen-rich overhead.

A system and method for argon and nitrogen extraction and liquefaction from a low-pressure tail gas of an ammonia production plant is provided. The preferred tail gas of the ammonia production plant comprises methane, nitrogen, argon, and hydrogen. The disclosed system and method provides for the methane rejection via rectification and hydrogen rejection by way of a side stripper column or phase separator. The resulting nitrogen and argon containing stream is separated and liquefied in a double column distillation system.

A process for recovering at least one fluid (e.g. xenon gas and/or krypton gas, etc.) from a feed gas can include utilization of a compression system, primary heat exchanger unit, a pre-purification unit (PPU), and other units to separate and recover at least one desired fluid. In some embodiments, fluid flows output from a first heat exchanger or separation system of the plant can be split so that a portion of a stream is output for downstream processing to purify xenon (Xe) and/or krypton (Kr) product flow(s) while another portion of the stream is recycled to a compression system or the PPU to undergo further purification and heat exchange so that the product output for downstream processing has a higher concentration of Xe or Kr. Some embodiments can be configured to provide an improved recovery of Xe and/or Kr as well as an improvement in operational efficiency.