EP0031815A1 - Separating ethane from methane - Google Patents

Separating ethane from methane

Info

Publication number
EP0031815A1
EP0031815A1 EP19800900897 EP80900897A EP0031815A1 EP 0031815 A1 EP0031815 A1 EP 0031815A1 EP 19800900897 EP19800900897 EP 19800900897 EP 80900897 A EP80900897 A EP 80900897A EP 0031815 A1 EP0031815 A1 EP 0031815A1
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
methane
ethane
bed
gas
mixture
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Withdrawn
Application number
EP19800900897
Other languages
German (de)
English (en)
French (fr)
Inventor
William John Thomas
Keith Sydney Robinson
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
National Research Development Corp UK
Original Assignee
National Research Development Corp UK
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by National Research Development Corp UK filed Critical National Research Development Corp UK
Publication of EP0031815A1 publication Critical patent/EP0031815A1/en
Withdrawn legal-status Critical Current

Links

Classifications

    • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
    • C07—ORGANIC CHEMISTRY
    • C07C—ACYCLIC OR CARBOCYCLIC COMPOUNDS
    • C07C7/00—Purification; Separation; Use of additives
    • C07C7/12—Purification; Separation; Use of additives by adsorption, i.e. purification or separation of hydrocarbons with the aid of solids, e.g. with ion-exchangers
    • C07C7/13—Purification; Separation; Use of additives by adsorption, i.e. purification or separation of hydrocarbons with the aid of solids, e.g. with ion-exchangers by molecular-sieve technique

Definitions

  • This invention relates to separating ethane from methane, These gases occur together in natural gas mixtures.
  • Adsorption offers potential possibilities in theory as a separation process for extracting low concentrations of ethane from natural gas, in view of the selective and adsorptive properties of some porous adsorbents.
  • ethane is separated from methane by passing a gaseous mixture of the ethane and the methane (which mixture may include a carrier gas such as helium) at a temperature above 150K and at a pressure below 80 bar (preferably at least 1 bar, more preferably at least 3 bar) through a bed of an adsorber having an effective molecular sieve size of from 4 ⁇ (preferably from 4.5 ⁇ ) to 10 ⁇ until the methane concentration per unit volume of gas leaving the bed is at least as great as the methane concentration per unit volume of the mixture passing into the bed ( at the same pressure) , discontinuing the passage of the mixture (but optionally allowing any carri er gas to continue to flow) and collecting the gas which is released from the bed next after a complete cessation of methane release.
  • a gaseous mixture of the ethane and the methane which mixture may include a carrier gas such as helium
  • This last-mentioned gas is relatively enriched in ethane, often containing only ethane .(plus any carri er gas ) .
  • the rate of release of the ethane rises from zero to a peak, after which it falls more slowly.
  • the separation process may be repeated.
  • the breakthrough time for ethane to be desorbed (if the bed is completely saturated) equals the duration of the adsorption part of the cycle plus 11 ⁇ 2 times the breakthrough time for methane.
  • the separation appears not to be grossly affected by the methane: ethane volume ratio , which may be (say) from 1: 1 to 35 : 1, nor by the presence of an inert carrier gas such as helium, which may be present as up to 95% of the total volume.
  • the temperature of operation may be up to 400K but is preferably not more than 300K and more preferably below 270K. At lower temperatures , the above-mentioned complete cessation of gas release tends to lengthen , which is advantageous for ease of process control .
  • the adsorber is preferably a 5 ⁇ molecular si eve .
  • a 4 ⁇ molecular sieve is less effective.
  • An adsorber bed was made up as follows .
  • a 5 ⁇ molecular si eve was supplied by Laporte Industri es Ltd as 1-2 mm spherical pellets (made from 1-5 ⁇ m zeolite crystals ) containing 20% by weight of binder and calcined at 650 C. These pellets were then crushed in a ball mill and the fraction between B.S . mesh 30 and
  • the cycle time here is 1 hour, but depending on the size of the plant, the degree of separation required and other variables, cycle times of from 4 ⁇ minutes to 1 year are possible.

Landscapes

  • Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
  • Organic Chemistry (AREA)
  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Analytical Chemistry (AREA)
  • Oil, Petroleum & Natural Gas (AREA)
  • Water Supply & Treatment (AREA)
  • Organic Low-Molecular-Weight Compounds And Preparation Thereof (AREA)
  • Separation Of Gases By Adsorption (AREA)
  • Solid-Sorbent Or Filter-Aiding Compositions (AREA)
EP19800900897 1979-05-21 1980-12-01 Separating ethane from methane Withdrawn EP0031815A1 (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
GB7917554 1979-05-21
GB7917554 1979-05-21

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP0031815A1 true EP0031815A1 (en) 1981-07-15

Family

ID=10505299

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP19800900897 Withdrawn EP0031815A1 (en) 1979-05-21 1980-12-01 Separating ethane from methane

Country Status (3)

Country Link
EP (1) EP0031815A1 (enExample)
JP (1) JPS56500537A (enExample)
WO (1) WO1980002558A1 (enExample)

Families Citing this family (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US5013334A (en) * 1990-01-09 1991-05-07 Uop Methane purification by pressure swing adsorption
US8282709B2 (en) 2010-06-29 2012-10-09 The Governors Of The University Of Alberta Removal of ethane from natural gas at high pressure
US9260361B2 (en) * 2011-11-22 2016-02-16 Exxonmobil Chemical Patents Inc. Hydrocarbon conversion process
JP6443714B2 (ja) * 2013-08-29 2018-12-26 高砂熱学工業株式会社 蒸気生成装置、吸着材収容器、及び蒸気生成方法

Family Cites Families (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US2799360A (en) * 1956-01-16 1957-07-16 Jefferson Lake Sulphur Co Cyclic adsorption process for the recovery of ethane from a gaseous mixture consisting of methane and ethane
US3208200A (en) * 1961-05-18 1965-09-28 Continental Oil Co Low temperature adsorption process for purifying low molecular weight gases
DE2310298C3 (de) * 1973-03-01 1979-04-19 Linde Ag, 6200 Wiesbaden Verfahren zum Zerlegen von Erdgas

Non-Patent Citations (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Title
See references of WO8002558A1 *

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
JPS56500537A (enExample) 1981-04-23
WO1980002558A1 (en) 1980-11-27

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Legal Events

Date Code Title Description
PUAI Public reference made under article 153(3) epc to a published international application that has entered the european phase

Free format text: ORIGINAL CODE: 0009012

AK Designated contracting states

Designated state(s): DE FR GB NL

17P Request for examination filed

Effective date: 19810618

RAP1 Party data changed (applicant data changed or rights of an application transferred)

Owner name: NATIONAL RESEARCH DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION

STAA Information on the status of an ep patent application or granted ep patent

Free format text: STATUS: THE APPLICATION IS DEEMED TO BE WITHDRAWN

18D Application deemed to be withdrawn

Effective date: 19821015

RIN1 Information on inventor provided before grant (corrected)

Inventor name: ROBINSON, KEITH SYDNEY

Inventor name: THOMAS, WILLIAM JOHN