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:
Dec. 16, 2003
Filed:
Dec. 12, 2002
Paul Higginbotham, Guildford, GB;
Rakesh Agrawal, Emmaus, PA (US);
Adam Adrian Brostow, Emmaus, PA (US);
Kelvin Graham Hayes, East Horsley, GB;
Donn Michael Herron, Fogelsville, GB;
Declan Patrick O'Connor, Chessington, GB;
Air Products and Chemicals, Inc., Allentown, PA (US);
Abstract
Liquid oxygen (“LOX”) product and a krypton- and xenon-enriched liquid product is produced from the cryogenic separation of air using a cryogenic distillation system. The process comprises separating feed air in the main distillation system into nitrogen-rich overhead vapor and said krypton- and xenon-enriched liquid product. At least a portion of said krypton- and xenon-enriched liquid product is removed from the main distillation system for further distillation, to produce at least one krypton- and/or xenon-rich product. Xenon-lean liquid is fed to the first additional distillation column and separated into oxygen-rich overhead vapor and said LOX product having a concentration of xenon less than that in said feed air. The xenon-lean liquid is usually also lean in krypton.