SAFE ADSORPTION PROCESS FOR THE SEPARATION OF HYDROCARBONS FROM OXYGEN CONTAINING GAS

In a pressure swing adsorption process conducted in a plurality of cyclically interchangeable adsorbers, for recovering a hydrocarbon, e.g., ethylene, from a gaseous feed stream containing hydrocarbons and less than 15% by volume of oxygen, the steps of: (a) selectively adsorbing the hydrocarbon to be recovered during an adsorption phase conducted under elevated pressure; (b) during the adsorption phase and during at least one cocurrent expansion phase following the adsorption phase, withdrawing a gaseous stream, at the outlet end of an adsorber, which stream is depleted in the hydrocarbon to be recovered; (c) during a subsequent countercurrent expansion phase of desorption, withdrawing a stream enriched in the desorbed hydrocarbon to be recovered from the inlet end of the adsorber; and (d) after the desorption in step (c), conducting a pressure buildup phase by repressurizing the adsorber to the adsorption pressure with a gas containing less than 15% by volume oxygen, preferably the feed gas; and as required, withdrawing gas before the repressurizing is completed so as to prevent localized increased concentrations of oxygen; and then repeating the cycle.