Industrial Gases and Air Separation

High purity industrial gases such as O₂, N₂, H₂ and CO are produced in a variety of ways. UOP’s MOLSIV adsorbents play an essential role in these processes because of their high adsorption selectivity and capacity. In addition, UOP’s aluminas are often used for prepurification applications.

H₂ & CO Production

High purity hydrogen and CO can be produced cryogenically with MOLSIV adsorbents serving as an integral part of the process. H₂ can also be produced adsorptively, using MOLSIV adsorbents.

In a typical cryogenic process, a mixture of H₂ and CO synthesis gas, produced by reforming of natural gas, is passed through a bulk absorption process to remove most of the CO₂. The water-saturated gas (with ppm levels of CO₂) is then passed through a bed of MOLSIV adsorbent to remove the water and remaining CO₂ to levels well below 1 ppm. These low levels of water and CO₂ are necessary to prevent freezing in downstream cryogenic separation processes.

This process consists of two or more beds of MOLSIV adsorbent operating in parallel. While one bed is on-line, the other bed is regenerated by purging with waste gas at elevated temperature. The high adsorption capacity and long life of MOLSIV adsorbents help to reduce capital and operating costs.

Hydrogen is also produced noncryogenically with MOLSIV adsorbents. A mixture of H₂ and impurities, such as hydrocarbons, CO and N₂, is passed through a bed of MOLSIV adsorbent. While one or more beds are on-line, other beds are regenerated at reduced pressure. The highly selective MOLSIV adsorbents remove the impurities to very low levels, enabling the production of H₂ with greater than 99.9 % purity.

O₂ and N₂ Production

High purity O₂ and N₂ are produced by the separation of air through the use of cryogenic distillation and adsorptive processes. Both employ MOLSIV adsorbents.

In a typical cryogenic process, air that has been compressed and cooled is passed through a bed of activated alumina and MOLSIV adsorbent to remove water and CO₂, respectively, to levels below 1 ppm. This is necessary to prevent freezing in downstream cryogenic equipment where the separation of O₂ and N₂ occurs. The adsorption process consists of two or more beds operating in parallel. While one bed is on-line, the other bed is regenerated by purging with N₂ at elevated temperature.

UOP has specifically formulated 13X APG adsorbent for maximum water and CO₂ adsorption capacity and selectivity. Because of these properties, 13X APG adsorbent has become the industry standard. Our newest product, APG III adsorbent, offers enhanced performance compared with 13X APG adsorbent. We also offer a portfolio of high capacity activated alumina desiccants for process designs employing compound beds of activated alumina and 13X APG adsorbent.

Oxygen is also produced adsorptively with MOLSIV adsorbents. In a typical process, air at ambient pressure is fed to a bed of MOLSIV adsorbent. The highly efficient MOLSIV product adsorbs water, CO₂ and N₂ from the air, yielding up to 95% pure oxygen. While one bed is on line, the other bed is regenerated under vacuum. UOP has developed VSA-10 adsorbent, an optimized product combining high N₂ adsorption capacity and selectivity for maximum performance. PSA O₂ HP adsorbent is the product of choice for water and CO₂ adsorption in vacuum swing processes and is used in combination with VSA-10 adsorbent. PSA O₂ HP adsorbent also has high selectivity and capacity for water, CO₂ and N₂ in PSA processes.

Prepurification

UOP’s spherical aluminas have high static sorption, high surface area and are very resistant to abrasion. This makes them particularly well-suited for dehydration systems where the desiccant is subjected to harsh mechanical conditions such as in pressure swing adsorption systems.

To request more information about UOP’s products for industrial gases and air separation applications, please contact us directly using our information request form or by calling one of our worldwide sales offices.