PROCESS FOR SEPARATING A HEAVY GAS COMPONENT FROM A GASEOUS MIXTURE

It relates to an adsorption-desorption process for the recovery of a heavy gas component from a multicomponent gas mixture which comprises a heavy gas component and a light gas component, wherein the process comprises at least one cycle of steps carried out in a bed system, wherein the steps of one cycle comprise: a) introducing a multicomponent gas mixture (1) into a bed system (2), while letting out a light-component-enriched-stream (3); b) pressurizing the bed system (2) by introducing a heavy-component-enriched- stream (4); c) depressurizing the bed system (2) by letting out a light-component- enriched-stream (5); d) repeating steps b) and c) until the relative concentration of the heavy gas component in the light-component-enriched-stream (5) with respect to the concentration of the heavy gas component in the heavy-component-enriched-stream (4) is equal to or higher than 5 mol%; and e) desorbing the heavy gas component from the bed system (2); and regenerating the adsorbent.