Separation of hydrocarbons from nonhydrocarbons by diffusion

• US 2,617,493 A
• Filed: 04/15/1946
• Issued: 11/11/1952
• Est. Priority Date: 04/15/1946
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Jean P. Jones
• Original Assignee: Jean P. Jones
• Inventors: Jones, Jean P.
• Application Number:
  US02/662,151
• Time in Patent Office: 2,402 Days
• US Class Current: 95/49
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 53/226 in serial connexion
• CPC Class Codes: C07C 7/144 using membranes, e.g. selective permeation
• CPC Class Codes: C07C 9/02 with one to four carbon atoms liquefied petroleum gas C10L3/12

Claims

1. A PROCESS FOR SEPARATING A MIXTURE COMPRISING PRIMARILY NITROGEN AND AT LEAST ONE NORMALLY GASEOUS PARAFFIN HYDROCARBON INTO A NITROGENPOOR HYDROCARBON-RICH FRACTION AND A HYDROCARBON-POOR NITROGEN-RICH FRACTION, WHICH COMPRISES INTRODUCING ALL OF SAID MIXTURE INITIALLY INTO AN INTERMEDIATE STAGE OF A SERIES OF AT LEAST FIVE DIFFUSION STAGES, EACH SAID STAGE COMPRISING TWO ZONES SEPARATED BY A NON-POROUS MEMBRANE IN WHICH PARAFFIN HYDROCARBONS ARE MORE SOLUBLE THAN NITROGEN WITH ONE OF SAID ZONES BEING A DIFFUSION ZONE RECEIVING A NITROGEN-HYDROCARNON MIXTURE AS A DIRECT CHARGE AND DISCHARGING A NITROGEN-HYDROCARBON MIXTURE POORER IN HYDROCARBONS AND WITH THE OTHER OF SAID ZONES BEING A DIFFUSATE ZONE RECEIVING HYDROCARBONS ONLY BY DIFFUSION THROUGH SAID MEMBRANE AND DISCHARGING A GAS HAVING A HYDROCARBON TO NITROGEN RATIO HIGHER THAN THAT IN THE CHARGE TO SAID DIFFUSION ZONE, IN THE STAGE BELOW THE INLET STAGE PASS-