FREMGANGSMAADE OG APPARAT TIL GASFRAKTIONERING MED ANVENDELSE AF MIKROBOELGER

A process and appartus are provided for removing a first gas from a mixture thereof with a second gas. The gas mixture is passed through a sorbent bed having a preferential affinity for the first gas and comprising a microwave absorbent capable of absorbing microwave energy and the first gas is sorbed on the sorbent so as to produce a gaseous effluent which has a concentration of first gas therein below a predetermined maximum. Then the first gas sorbed on the sorbent bed is removed therefrom by application of microwave energy, at a temperature at which the microwve absorbent absorbs such energy and activates the first gas sufficiently to desorb the first gas, while passing a purge flow of gas in contact with the bed to flush out desorbed first gas from the bed. The bed is allowed to cool to a relatively efficient temperature for adsorption. The gas mixture is then again passed in contact with the bed. If two beds are used, one bed can be desorbed while the other is on-stream, thereby maintaining a substantially continuous flow of effluent gas. The apparatus of the invention provides a sorbent bed assembly having a microwave energy generator positioned to direct such energy into a sorbent bed comprising a microwave absorbent capable of absorbing microwave energy for desorption of first gas from the sorbent bed.