AIR SEPARATION PROCESS

GUIDE
M.SRINIVAS

BY
A.DEVIKA

Contents

Introduction
Properties
Applications
Available technologies
Comparison of the processes

Introduction
An air separation plant separates atmospheric air into its
primary components nitrogen, oxygen, argon and other
rare inert gases.

Air Products has produced over 2000 air

separation plants and currently owns and
operates over 300 air separation plants

Composition of dry air

Gas

% by Volume

% by Weight

Parts per Million

(V)

Chemical Symbol

Nitrogen

78.08

75.47

780805

N2

Oxygen

20.95

23.20

209450

O2

Argon

0.93

1.28

9340

Ar

Carbon Dioxide

0.039

0.0606

390

CO2

Properties of Oxygen
Colourless
Odorless
Gas phase(Oxygen changes from a gas to a liquid
at a temperature of -182.96C)
Allotropes Dioxygen, Ozone
Slightly soluble in water
Denser than air
Supports combustion but does not burn
Occur in many compounds including
water,co2,iron ores

Properties of nitrogen

Colourless
Odorless
Inert diatomic gas
Molecular nitrogen condenses at 195.79C.
Occur in many industrial compounds, such
ammonia, nitric acid, organic nitrates

Applications
Oxygen

Metal manufacturing
Chemicals
Petroleum refineries
Glass and Ceramics
Industry
Pulp and Paper
Manufacturing
Health Care

Nitrogen
Nitrogen blanketing
Manufacturing and
construction
Multi industries
Food and beverages
Rubber and plastic
industry
Health care

Available technologies
Cryogenic process
Pressure Swing Adsorption
Membrane separation

Cryogenic distillation
The most common method for Air
separation is Cryogenic distillation
Cryogenic Air separation is the preferred
technology for producing very high purity O2
and N2

Cryogenic distillation

Cryogenic distillation column

Argon recovery

Pressure swing adsorption

Membrane technologies

Comparison with other

processes

Future work

Material and energy balance

Equipment design
Safety aspects
Process control of the unit
Materials of construction
Plant location and layout
Cost estimation