Perfect 👍 — next in **periodic table order** is **Xenon (Xe, atomic number 54).**
Xenon is a **noble gas** that occurs in **trace amounts in the atmosphere** (≈0.087 ppm). Industrial extraction involves **cryogenic air separation** and **adsorption techniques**.
Here are the **20 most common methods of extracting Xenon**:
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# **20 Most Common Methods of Extracting Xenon**
### **A. Fractional Distillation of Liquid Air**
1. **Cryogenic Distillation of Liquid Air** – Xenon separated along with krypton fraction.
2. **Low-Temperature Fractional Distillation** – Sequential distillation to concentrate xenon.
3. **Multistage Distillation Columns** – Enhances purity by repeated separation.
4. **Vacuum Distillation** – Reduces boiling points for more efficient separation.
5. **Pressure Swing Distillation** – Variation of fractional distillation under changing pressures.
6. **Distillation with Helium Carrier Gas** – Laboratory-scale method.
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### **B. Adsorption Techniques**
7. **Adsorption on Activated Charcoal at Cryogenic Temperatures** – Xenon selectively retained.
8. **Molecular Sieve Adsorption (Zeolites)** – Captures xenon from air streams.
9. **Pressure Swing Adsorption (PSA)** – Cyclical adsorption/desorption to concentrate xenon.
10. **Temperature Swing Adsorption (TSA)** – Uses temperature change for xenon release.
11. **Silver-Exchanged Zeolites Adsorption** – Enhances selectivity for xenon.
12. **Carbon Molecular Sieve Columns** – Industrial-scale xenon separation.
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### **C. Recovery from Nuclear or Industrial Byproducts**
13. **Extraction from Spent Nuclear Fuel Reprocessing Off-Gas** – Xenon isotopes recovered.
14. **Recovery from Krypton-Xenon Mixtures in Industrial Gas Plants** – Purification via fractional distillation.
15. **Cryogenic Trapping of Xenon from Gas Streams** – For laboratory or small-scale production.
16. **Separation from Medical or Lighting Gas Mixtures** – Xenon recovered for medical imaging and lighting.
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### **D. Laboratory / Experimental Methods**
17. **Electrostatic Separation of Xenon Isotopes** – Experimental high-purity isotope extraction.
18. **Laser Isotope Separation (AVLIS / MLIS)** – Lab-scale enrichment of xenon isotopes.
19. **Membrane Separation at Low Temperatures** – Research-scale xenon concentration.
20. **Cryogenic Condensation and Sublimation Cycles** – High-purity xenon production in laboratories.
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✅ **Summary:**
* **Main industrial sources:** Air (trace amounts), nuclear fuel reprocessing, industrial gas mixtures.
* **Primary extraction steps:** Cryogenic air separation → fractional distillation → adsorption → purification.
* **Metallic or elemental xenon:** Collected as a noble gas via distillation or adsorption; does not form metals.
* **Byproduct sources:** Nuclear reprocessing, lighting or medical gas mixtures.
* **Laboratory/experimental:** Electrostatic, laser isotope separation, membrane techniques, cryogenic condensation.
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Next in periodic order is \*\*Cesium (Cs, atomic number 55).
Do you want me to continue with **20 extraction methods for Cesium**?
