Claims
- 1. A method of removing hydrogen sulfide from a gaseous mixture at a temperature of 500.degree.-700.degree. C. comprising:
- providing a sorbent mixture including about 60-70% ZnO and 30-40% by weight highly dispersed CuO;
- reducing the CuO to elemental copper by contact with hydrogen gas at a temperature of 230.degree.-650.degree. C.;
- passing the gaseous mixture at a temperature of 500.degree.-700.degree. C. into contact with the reduced sorbent mixture to form sulfides of copper in the sorbent as it is spent;
- regenerating the spent sorbent in an oxidizing atmosphere to remove substantially all of its sulfur content and form a regenerated sorbent mixture including a major proportion of ZnO and a minor proportion of CuO;
- reducing the regenerated CuO to elemental copper and passing additional gaseous mixture into contact with the reduced and regenerated sorbent mixture for removing H.sub.2 S from the gaseous mixture.
- 2. The method of claim 1 wherein the gaseous mixture contacts the sorbent in a continuous flow at a space velocity of about 700-2500 hr.sup.-1 in respect to the volume of the sorbent.
- 3. The method of claim 1 wherein a substantially continuous flow of gaseous mixture passes in contact with the sorbent while monitoring the H.sub.2 S concentration in the said mixture leaving contact with the sorbent and wherein sorbent substantially free of sulfides of copper is provided for contacting said continuous flow of gaseous mixture when said concentration of H.sub.2 S exceeds a predetermined breakthrough level.
CONTRACTUAL ORIGIN OF THE INVENTION
The U.S. Government has rights in this invention pursuant to Prime Contract No. W-31-109-ENG-38 between the U.S. Department of Energy and Argonne National Laboratory and Subcontract No. W-31-109-38-6298 with Giner, Inc.
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Non-Patent Literature Citations (1)
Entry |
U.S. DOE Solicitation No. DE-RP21-82MC19077, p. 6, 1982. |