GB291277A - Recovery of absorbable substances from gaseous mixtures - Google Patents

Abstract

291,277. Marks, E. C. R., (Carbide & Carbon Chemicals Corporation). Oct. 22, 1927. Gases, separating mixtures of. - In the recovery of vapours such as ether, alcohol, &c. from mixtures with incondemible gases such as air by absorption in solid or liquid absorbent from which the vapour is subsequently expelled by heating, the incondensible gases are removed from the system before regeneration of the absorbent commences. For example, steam may be passed through the vacant spaces of the apparatus (but not through the absorbent, itself) in order to displace the gases, which may be then passed into another absorber for the recovery of their valuable contents. After the removal of the permanent gases steam may be passed through the absorbent to drive out the absorbed vapours, and in the case of materials miscible with water these may be recovered by rectifying the resulting mixture with the aid of the latent ú heat of the steam contained therein. The figure illustrates a system with two absorbers A, A<1> in alternate use. The gas mixture is forced by the blower F via the valve 2 into the absorber A<1> through which it passes downwardly, escaping through the valve 4 and outlet 20. When this absorber is fully charged the gas mixture is diverted to the other absorber. Steam is then admitted at 18 and passes through the upper and lower spaces of A' in series via the valves 8, 10, 12, and 13, displacing the permanent gases and returning them to the mixture passing through A. Subsequently valves 10 and 13 are closed and the steam now traverses the absorbent layer B driving out the absorbed vapours. The mixture is passed through valve 14 to a coil S in the base of a rectifying column R into which the mixture subsequently passes. Water condenses and is drawn off at 21 while the more volatile substancgs (e.g. alcohol and ether) are drawn off at appropriate points 22, 19 in the rectifier or in a subsequent condenser C.