The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
May. 09, 2000
Filed:
Sep. 19, 1997
Daniel Alvarez, Jr, San Diego, CA (US);
Jeffrey J Spiegelman, La Jolla, CA (US);
Aeronex, Inc., San Diego, CA (US);
Abstract
A process, composition and apparatus for the removal of water from moist non-corrosive gases (such as those containing oxygen or CO.sub.2) down to .ltoreq.10-20 ppb water concentration are described. The dehydrating agent is an oxide or salt of an electropositive metal and has a surface area of at least 140 m.sup.2 /g, preferably 140-500 m.sup.2 /g, is compatible with the gas, and preferably is capable of dehydrating such gases to .ltoreq.1 ppb, preferably to as low as 500 ppt. The electropositive metal will be a Group 3b, 4b or lanthanide metal or vanadium. The preferred agent is a high surface area titania, zirconia, yttria or vanadia, with titania most preferred. The dehydrating agent can be in the form of a pelleted or granular bulk material or a coating on or within the pores of a substrate. The agent is retained in a simple container which is easily installed in a gas supply line for the gas, such as to a gas- or vapor-deposition manufacturing unit. The dehydration process can be operated for long periods of time in the presence of these gases. The invention can be used to provide final dehydration to gas streams intended for gas- or vapor-deposition formation of high purity electronic, prosthetic, pharmaceutical, optical fiber or similar products, and can be used in combination with a preliminary dehydration process for such gases upstream of a solid particulate removal unit or molecular contaminant elimination unit downstream.