Air Products and Chemicals, Inc.
Lights removal from carbon dioxide

Abstract:

Light gases such as helium are extracted from a carbon dioxide-containing feed stream by distillation. Costly dehydration steps are avoided by pumping the liquid bottoms stream leaving the distillation column without vaporization so as to ensure that any water present in the feed remains in solution with the bulk stream leaving the process. This prevents any liquid phase water causing corrosion or solid ice or hydrates forming to plug the flow.