PATENTS

3910.            WHITE, P. C.  (Standard Oil Co. of Indiana).  Method for the Recovery of Hydrocarbon Synthesis Products.  United States Patent 2,476,788, July 16, 1949; appl. filed Sept. 28, 1945, Serial No. 619,245; 7 claims (Cl. 260-456).

The hydrocarbon-synthesis products are separated by fractional condensation.  The products from the reacting zone are cooled in stages, with separation of phases between the cooling stages.  The residual gas fraction is scrubbed for removal of oxygenated compounds before recycle to the system.  The product stream, after removal of waxes, can be cooled 20°-100° F. below the boiling point of H₂O at the partial pressure of H₂O existing in the product stream following the wax knockout trap.  The mol fraction of the H₂O in the effluent stream will be a function of the gas mixture used as feed, the conversion level, and the product distribution.  Ordinary the mol fraction of H₂O will be 10-50%.  The scrubbed residual gases which predominate in H₂, CO, CO₂, and light hydrocarbons may be recycled to the reactor or to the gas-preparation step.  Optionally these gases can be sent to hydrocarbon recovery by means such as charcoal, oil, or H₂SO₄ adsorbers.  Where air has been used in the synthesis-gas preparation, the tail gases containing N₂ should be vented.