Linde Aktiengesellschaft

Martin Gwinner

Heinz Bauer

Michael Heisel

Freimut Marold

Daniel Garthe

The invention relates to a method for the separation of a hydrocarbon-rich, nitrogen-containing feed fraction (), preferably natural gas, wherein the feed fraction () is at least in part liquefied (E, E) and divided by rectification (T) into a nitrogen-enriched fraction () and a hydrocarbon-rich, nitrogen-depleted fraction () and wherein, in the upper region of the rectification (T), a nitrogen-enriched stream () is taken off, cooled (E) and applied () at least in part to the rectification (T) as reflux and/or the nitrogen-enriched fraction () is cooled and partially condensed (E), applied at least in part to the rectification (T) as reflux () and the remaining stream () of the nitrogen-enriched fraction () is subjected to a double-column process (T). According to the invention, in the middle region of the rectification (T), a carbon-dioxide-poor stream () which serves for cooling (E) the nitrogen-enriched substream () and/or cooling (E) the nitrogen-enriched fraction () is taken off and the feed fraction is rectified (T) in a separation column (T) having a dividing wall (W), wherein the dividing wall (W) is arranged at least in the region of the separation column (T) in which the feed fraction () is fed to the separation column (T) and the carbon-dioxide-poor stream () is taken off.

Nitrogen removal from natural gas

This invention is a method for the recovery of elemental sulfur from a gas mixture containing H.sub.2 S. The gas mixture is first subjected to desulfurization in a Claus installation which has a thermal part and a catalytic part resulting in the recovery of elemental sulfur. Sulfur compounds still contained in the Claus tail gas are then transformed into H.sub.2 S by means of hydrogenation and, if necessary, by means of hydrolysis and the hydrogenated Claus tail gas is subjected to catalytic direct oxidation of the H.sub.2 S to elemental sulfur. The Claus installation comprises exactly one catalytic stage and the catalytic direct oxidation also takes place in exactly one reactor. Sulfur recovery rates of 99.3% to 99.6% are achieved by the method of the invention.

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Polling, Germany

Martin Gwinner