Hydrogen recovery process

An adsorption process for the recovery of hydrogen from a hydrogen-containing gaseous mixture wherein particulate adsorbent solids with a magnetizable component, or components, are contacted at low temperature with the gaseous mixture in an adsorption zone and hydrogen is concentrated in the off gas by the selective adsorption of the non-hydrogen components on the solids which are then circulated to a hydrogen displacement zone to free any occluded hydrogen and then to a desorption zone in which the exhausted solids are regenerated by the use of higher temperatures. The solids are formed into a magnetically stabilized moving, fluidized bed. The residual hydrocarbons in the desorbed solids are subsequently displaced, suitably with hydrogen, steam or water by contact in a magnetically stabilized bed of the solids. When steam is used, the wet solids are then dried by contact with hydrogen to displace the water, and cooled to complete the regeneration.