Nitrogen commercial separation

Advantage has been taken of these properties to separate oxygen from nitrogen commercially, see p. 13. 

Other examples of buffer gas selectivity include the resolution of arginine from phenylalanine in carbon dioxide but not in nitrogen the separation of lorazepam from diazepam in both helium and carbon dioxide but not in argon and nitrogen " the resolution of carbohydrate isomers such as methyl-P-D-mannopyranoside from methyl-a-D-mannopyranoside in carbon dioxide but not nitrogen and the resolution of heroin from THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) using nitrous oxide as the buffer gas in a commercial IMS instrument. ... 

Boiler size and SO2 scrubber are reduced The technology is not yet considered mature Polymeric air separation membranes can be used for the separation of oxygen from nitrogen (commercialized, for example, by DuPont, Air Liquid, etc.). 

Table 4 summarizes commercial and precommercial gas separation appHcations (86,87). The first large-scale commercial appHcation of gas separation was the separation of hydrogen from nitrogen ia ammonia purge gas streams. This process, launched ia 1980 by Monsanto, was followed by a number of similar appHcations, such as hydrogen—methane separation ia refinery off-gases and hydrogen—carbon monoxide adjustment ia oxo-chemical synthetic plants. 

A process development known as NOXSO (DuPont) (165,166) uses sodium to purify power plant combustion flue gas for removal of nitrogen oxide, NO, and sulfur, SO compounds. This technology reHes on sodium metal generated in situ via thermal reduction of sodium compound-coated media contained within a flue-gas purification device, and subsequent flue-gas component reactions with sodium. The process also includes downstream separation and regeneration of spent media for recoating and circulation back to the gas purification device. A full-scale commercial demonstration project was under constmction in 1995. 

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