Method for the recovery of elemental sulfur from a gas mixture containing H.sub.2 S

US5676921A · kind A · utility

Assignee

• Linde GmbH · DE

Inventors

• Michael Heisel · Munich, DE
• Freimut Marold · Dorsten, DE
• Martin Gwinner · Hohenschäftlarn, DE

Key dates

• Filing date: May 29, 1996
• Grant date: Oct 14, 1997
• Expiry date: May 29, 2016

Classification

• Technology area (CPC C): Chemistry; Metallurgy
• CPC primary: C01B17/046
• WIPO field: Chemical engineering
• WIPO sector: Chemistry

Abstract

This invention is a method for the recovery of elemental sulfur from a gas mixture containing H.sub.2 S. The gas mixture is first subjected to desulfurization in a Claus installation which has a thermal part and a catalytic part resulting in the recovery of elemental sulfur. Sulfur compounds still contained in the Claus tail gas are then transformed into H.sub.2 S by means of hydrogenation and, if necessary, by means of hydrolysis and the hydrogenated Claus tail gas is subjected to catalytic direct oxidation of the H.sub.2 S to elemental sulfur. The Claus installation comprises exactly one catalytic stage and the catalytic direct oxidation also takes place in exactly one reactor. Sulfur recovery rates of 99.3% to 99.6% are achieved by the method of the invention.