Oxygen Production via Cryogenic Distillation

This column is based on “Oxygen Production – Cost Analysis,” a report published by Intratec. It can be found at: www.intratec.us/analysis/oxygen-production-cost. Oxygen is a nonmetallic element and one of the most abundant elements on Earth’s surface. Under standard pressure and temperature conditions, oxygen is a diatomic gas with the molecular formula O2. The gas is used in several industries, including steel-making, chemicals, wastewater treatment, pulp and paper manufacturing, and others. The process The following paragraphs describe a process for oxygen production based on cryogenic distillation. Figure 1 presents a simplified flow diagram for the process. Figure 1. The diagram shows a process for oxygen production via cryogenic distillation[/caption] Feed preparation. Initially, atmospheric air is passed through a mechanical air filter to remove dust particles, and compressed to a pressure of about 6 bars. The compressed air is fed to a direct-contact cooler, where it is cooled first with cooling water and then with chilled water. Subsequently, the cooled, compressed air is passed through an adsorbent bed of molecular sieves for the removal of water, carbon dioxide and other trace impurities. Cryogenic separation.…