Experiments were carried out to identify a solvent which has a high solubility and selectivity for methane relative to hydrogen at 295 K and pressures from 13.88 to 20.78 MPa. Binary solubilities with pure hydrogen and methane, and ternary solubilities with 73 mol% H, and 27 mol% CH, were measured at 295 K and for pressures from 6.99 to 20.78 MPa in various organic solvents. This gas mixture simulates hydrocracker and hydrotreater off-gases which are candidates for purification with an absorption-stripper. Of the solvents tested, 2.2.4-trimethylpentane (iso-octane). which showed very high methane solubility and a reasonable selectivity, and methylcyclohexane. which showed a very high selectivity and a reasonable solubility, are the best solvents for methane absorption.Correlations for hydrogen and methane as a function ofpressure and solvent solubility parameter were developed with the experimental solubilities. Binary interaction parameters for Peng-Robinson (Peng and Robinson. 1976) and SoaveRedlich-Kwong (Soave, 1972) equations of state were calculated with experimental solubility results. Prediction of gas solubility in a ternary system was compared with experimental and found to be satisfactory when experimental binary interaction parameters were used. Keywords: solubility, selectivity, binary interaction parameter, absorption-stripping, high pressure.he sponge oil absorption process (Mulvihill et al., 1964) T for selective absorption of light hydrocarbons in the presence of hydrogen has been used in petroleum refineries to purify high pressure hydrocracker off-gas typically containing 70 mol% H2, 25 mol% CH, and 5 mol% C2+. This off-gas stream at 13.88 to 20.78 MPa is normally cooled below 3 10 K to take advantage of higher methane solubility and lower hydrogen solubility at lower temperatures. When recovery of high purity hydrogen is not required, sponge oil absorption (sponge oil is defined generally as a hydrocarbon liquid which is nonreactive with the absorbed vapors, having a vapor pressure not greater than 10% of the vapor pressure of the vapors being absorbed (Haines, 1975)) can be more economic (Pruden et al., 1996) than other purification processes such as pressure swing adsorption, membrane separation and cryogenic separation. The purified hydrogen is available at high pressures and need not be compressed to feed to the hydrocracker recycle gas compressor. To itnprove the efficiency of the sponge oil absorption process, an optimum oil that selectively absorbs light hydrocarbons such as methane over hydrogen is desirable."Author to whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail address: pruden@acs.ucalgary.ca Abundant literature has been published on experimental high pressure solubilities of hydrogen or methane in organic solvents. However, no literature could be found on high pressure solubility in a ternary system, where both hydrogen and methane are dissolved in organic solvents. Battino and Clever (1966) gave detailed information about various methods and apparatus, methods of expressing gas ...