Process for producing hydrogen

• US 3,251,652 A
• Filed: 05/17/1962
• Issued: 05/17/1966
• Est. Priority Date: 05/17/1962
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Engelhard Corporation (BASF SE)
• Original Assignee: William C. Pfefferle
• Inventors: Pfefferle, William C.
• Application Number:
  US04/196,048
• Time in Patent Office: 1,461 Days
• US Class Current: 423/656
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 2203/0233 the reforming step being a steam reforming step
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 2203/0283 containing a CO-shift step, i.e. a water gas shift step
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 2203/0405 Purification by membrane separation
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 2203/0415 Purification by absorption in liquids
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 2203/0475 the impurity being carbon dioxide
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 2203/0495 the impurity being water
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 2203/1047 Group VIII metal catalysts
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 2203/1052 Nickel or cobalt catalysts
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 2203/1241 Natural gas or methane
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 2203/1247 Higher hydrocarbons
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 2203/145 At least two purification steps in parallel
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 2203/147 Three or more purification steps in series
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 3/48 followed by reaction of water vapour with carbon monoxide
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 3/501 by diffusion
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 3/505 Membranes containing palladium

Claims

5. A COMBINATION PROCESS FOR THE PRODUCTION OF HYDROGEN WHICH COMPRISES THE STEPS OF REACTING A MIXTURE OF STEAM AND AN ALIPHATIC HYDROCARBON FEEDSTOCK HAVING FROM 1 TO 20 CARBON ATOMS IN THE MOLECULE WITH A STEAM REFORMING CATALYST IN A REACTION ZONE AT A TEMPERATURE BETWEEN ABOUT 1500* AND 1800*F. AND A PRESSURE FROM ABOUT ATMOSPHERIC TO ABOUT 280 P.S.I.G. TO PRODUCE A GASEOUS EFFLUENT CONTAINING STEAM AND GAS INCLUDING HYDROGEN, CARBON MONOXIDE AND CARBON DIOXIDE, CONTACTING SAID EFFLUENT WITH ONE SIDE OF A PALLADIUM-CONTAINING HYDROGEN-PERMEABLE MEMBRANE TO SEPARATE A DIFFUSED HYDROGEN STREAM CONTAINING FROM 20 TO 90% OF THE HYDROGEN IN SAID GASEOUS EFFLUENT FROM AN UNDIFFUSED GAS STREAM CONTAINING LESS THAN ABOUT 20% BY VOLUME OF HYDROGEN, AND CONTACTING THE UNDIFFUSED GAS STREAM WITH A SECOND CATRALYST UNDER CO SHIFT REACTION CONDITIONS INCLUDING A TEMPERATURE OF ABOUT 650* TO ABOUT 1250*F. AND A PRESSURE BETWEEN ABOUT 5 AND ABOUT 100 ATMOSPHERES TO CONVERT CO CONTAINED THEREIN TO CO2 AND HYDROGEN AND RECOVERING THE HYDROGEN FROM THE SHIFT REACTION EFFLUENT.