Air separation plants (units) fractionate filtered, compressed air into purified streams of oxygen, nitrogen, and sometimes argon or other rare gases using distillation or membrane filtration. As one of China’s most comprehensive industrial gas suppliers with extensive global project execution, YouChi Gas leverages decades of technology innovations to build customized yet cost-effective air separation solutions. Our offerings span small on-site nitrogen or oxygen generators to fully integrated merchant gas production complexes satisfying the most stringent demands.

With hundreds of referenced plants delivered worldwide utilizing cryogenic distillation, pressure swing adsorption, or polymeric membranes, our team possesses the entire range of air separation proficiencies globally. YouChi Gas’s execution expertise encompasses preliminary testing, an optimal design incorporating the latest advancements, integrated equipment procurement and manufacturing oversight, plus rigorous on-site installation, commissioning, and maintenance services over entire operational lifecycles. Whether you seek specialty gases, bulk gas supply security, or multi-train air separation mega-projects, our world-class engineering group translates needs into collaborative solutions. At the same time, localization expertise overcomes geographic project barriers. Contact us to discuss how our end-to-end capabilities can target your purity, capacity, reliability, and budget needs.

Air separation plants utilizing cryogenic fractional distillation leverage differences in component boiling points to isolate purified nitrogen, oxygen, argon, and other rare gases from filtered air feedstocks. This methodology centers around a tightly integrated process cycle between compression, contaminant removal, cooling, distillation, and final storage phases.

Ambient air first undergoes multi-stage compression to increase pressure, improving downstream separation efficiency. Compressing the gas to 5-10 bar gauge augments process intensity. Before further handling, the air also passes through pre-purification stages to eliminate trace moisture, carbon dioxide, and particulates using molecular sieves or adsorbents. Guarding cryogenic elements from contaminant freezing and clogging ensures consistency.

The process then leverages heat exchangers for staged air cooling using closed-loop refrigeration cycles. As temperatures sequentially decrease to cryogenic levels below -180°C, the pressurized air stream liquefies into a cryogenic liquid air mixture. This prepares for the core fractional distillation methodology.

Cryogenic columns exploit the differing boiling points of key air components like nitrogen, oxygen, and argon to fractionate the liquid air. Nitrogen possesses the lowest boiling point at -196 °C and vaporizes first as the liquid ascends column stages and warmth increases. Oxygen follows by evaporating at -183°C with argon trailing at -186°C. Condensers recover the gases at the column top while reflux flows back down, maintaining continuous equilibrium. Side draws at intermediate tray locations allow argon and rare gas capture.

Final storage methods match the cryogenic or ambient temperature state of individual gases. Cryogenic tanks maintain liquefied nitrogen and oxygen before re-vaporization at usage points. Ambient pressure vessels store argon and other products using internal pressure rather than extreme cooling.

By leveraging staged heat transfer, air purification, specialized column configurations, and phase equilibrium fundamentals, cryogenic air separation units fracture single atmospheric feedstocks into isolated specialized gases, meeting a wide range of industrial purity, pressure, volume, and temperature specifications.