Hitachi, Ltd.

Kiyoshi Ichihara

Takazumi Ishizu

Akio Yamamoto

Shunsuke Nogita

Masaomi Tomomura

Tetsuro Haga

Nitrogen having purity of 99.9999% or more can be produced continuously by contacting a starting gas mixture comprising 90% by volume or more of nitrogen and 10% by volume or less of oxygen with A-type zeolite package in an adsorption column at an adsorption temperature of -100.degree. to -196.degree. C. to remove oxygen from the starting gas mixture and regenerating A-type zeolite by heating it at a temperature higher than the adsorption temperature.

Process for producing high purity nitrogen

A method of separating gases which includes: a step which introduces into a separating cell a mixture gas that contains paramagnetic gases and nonparamagnetic gases, and which separates the paramagnetic gases and the nonparamagnetic gases from the mixture gas via a permeable membrane in the separating cell; and a step which applies a magnetic field to a gas stream of the mixture gas nearly at right angles therewith to form a high gradient magnetic field region, so that the paramagnetic gases and the nonparamagnetic gases are separated from the mixture gas by the high gradient magnetic field. An apparatus for separating gases which includes: a separating cell having a permeable membrane arranged inside thereof; and a magnetic field generating device which applies a magnetic field nearly at right angles to a gas stream of a mixture gas that passes through the permeable membrane in the separating cell and that contains paramagnetic gases and nonparamagnetic gases, so that a high gradient magnetic field region is formed near a magnetic support member that corresponds to the permeable membrane. By utilizing the separation by membrane and the separation by a high gradient magnetic field in combination, the paramagnetic gases and nonparamagnetic gases are separated from the mixture gas efficiently and in large amounts.

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Kudamatsu, Japan

Kiyoshi Ichihara