Claims
- 1. A continuous process for treating a gas stream containing hydrogen sulfide to produce elemental sulfur therefrom, said process consisting of:
- (A) introducing said gas stream into a gas-aqueous liquid contact zone maintained at a pH of about 8 to about 10, wherein said liquid comprises ammonium hydroxide, to produce an aqueous solution comprising ammonium sulfide as a major component;
- (B) passing said aqueous solution to a heating zone maintained at about the boiling temperature of said aqueous solution at ambient pressure, and into which there is sparged an oxygen containing gas;
- (C) heating said aqueous solution in said heating zone
- (1) to release ammonia and hydrogen sulfide from said aqueous solution and
- (2) to oxidize said aqueous solution comprising ammonium sulfide to form an aqueous dispersion of elemental sulfur;
- (D) recycling said ammonia and said hydrogen sulfide to said contact zone; and
- (E) separating sulfur from said aqueous dispersion and recycling the residual aqueous solution substantially free of sulfur to said contact zone; wherein ammonium hydroxide is formed in said contact zone upon contact of said ammonia with said aqueous solution.
- 2. The process of claim 1 wherein said contact zone is maintained at ambient pressure and a temperature of about 20.degree. to about 70.degree. centigrade.
- 3. The process of claim 2 wherein said oxygen containing gas is air.
- 4. The process of claim 2 wherein said oxygen containing gas is oxygen.
- 5. The process of claim 3 wherein the concentration of said ammonium hydroxide in said aqueous solution in said contact zone is about 0.5 molar to about 1 molar.
- 6. The process of claim 5 wherein said gas stream containing hydrogen sulfide is a flue gas or a gaseous hydrocarbon mixture with hydrogen sulfide.
- 7. The process of claim 6 wherein said gas stream is a natural gas stream.
- 8. The process of claim 7 wherein said natural gas is comprised predominantly of methane and ethane.
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
This is a continuation-in-part of Application Ser. No. 805,673, filed Dec. 6, 1985, now abandoned.
US Referenced Citations (2)
Number |
Name |
Date |
Kind |
3536618 |
Urban et al. |
Oct 1970 |
|
3594125 |
Hamblin |
Jul 1971 |
|
Non-Patent Literature Citations (1)
Entry |
Hackh's Chemical Dictionary, 4th ed. Julius Grant, McGraw-Hill Book Co. 1969, p. 40. |
Continuation in Parts (1)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
805673 |
Dec 1985 |
|