GB929214A - Process for the recovery of ethylene and carbon monoxide from gaseous mixtures - Google Patents

Abstract

Carbon monoxide and ethylene are recovered separately from gases also containing one or more of hydrogen, nitrogen, noble gases, methane or ethane, by first absorbing both ethylene and carbon monoxide in a cuprous salt solution and recovering them in admixture by desorption followed by absorbing the ethylene with a small amount of carbon monoxide in a solution of silver fluoborate or fluosilicate leaving carbon monoxide, and desorbing in at least two stages recovering dissolved carbon monoxide in the first stage and pure ethylene in the subsequent stage or stages. The cuprous salt solution preferably contains more than 150 grams of copper per litre and may also contain 5-20% of the copper as cupric salts and amines or hydroxyamines such as hydroxylamine. The acid radical may be chloride, acetate, formate, carbonate or nitrate. Absorption is effected at 10-50 atmospheres and 0 DEG -65 DEG C. Desorption is preferably effected in two stages, the gas evolved in the first being recycled to the absorption. Desorption conditions may be 1-10 atmospheres and 0 DEG -75 DEG C. in the first stage and 0,01-2 atmospheres and 0 DEG -75 DEG C. in the second. The silver salt solution preferably contains more than 600 g. of silver per litre; absorption is effected at 1-2 atmospheres and 0 DEG -50 DEG C. and desorption at 0 DEG -80 DEG C. with 0,5-2 atmospheres in the first stage, gas being recycled to the absorption, and 0,1-0,8 atmospheres in the second. A third desorption stage may be effected at 0,01-0,1 atmosphere.