how could argon be separated from the air?

Question

Oxygon boils at -183*C, argon at -186*C and nitrogen at -196*C. Suggest another way that argon could be separated from air.

Answer 1

Argon is typically separated from air using a series of distillation columns. First the O2+Ar is separated from N2, then Ar is separated from O2. However, the final purification of Argon to get the last small % of oxygen out cannot be done by distillation alone. Normally, this would have to be done using a catalyst or sorbent that has an affinity for O2.

Answer 2

Pump your container with the other gases in it full of hydrogen and set it to burning. This forms water, leaving argon and nitrogen behind. In fact, it might leave just the argon behind if you know the moles of each gas and they are consistent with:

2O2 + 5H2 + N2 + energy --> 2H2O + 2NH3

I think this, or something like it, is doable, but it's been a long while since I took chemistry in school. Look it up. What I am proposing is that the right mix of gases ignited would result in water and ammonia, leaving behind the inert argon.