What is cryogenic air separation process?
Cryogenic air separation is a process to produce highly purified gases or liquids and it is done by taking large volumes of air from the atmosphere, which is then compressed, cooled, liquefied. This is then separated into its major components by distillation. After the air is compressed, impurities must be removed. There are different variations arising from differences in user requirements in the cryogenic air separation cycles to produce industrial gas products. The cycle of processing depends on: • How many products are required (whether simply oxygen or nitrogen, both oxygen and nitrogen, or nitrogen, oxygen and argon). • Required purities of the products. • Gaseous product delivery pressures. • Lastly whether the products need to be stored in liquid form. In the cryogenic gas processing, various equipment is used like the distillation columns, heat exchangers, cold interconnecting piping etc. which operate at very low temperatures and hence must be well insulated. These items are
