SULFUR RECOVERY WITH REDUCED EMISSIONS, LOW CAPITAL INVESTMENT AND HYDROGEN CO-PRODUCTION

The main disadvantage of the Claus process is that by introducing air as oxidant a large volume of tail gas is produced. This must be treated to reduce atmospheric emissions of sulfur-containing gases. The costs of the tail-gas unit are a significant fraction of the total capital and operating costs for sulfur recovery. A new process uses thermal decomposition of hydrogen sulfide in the presence of carbon dioxide instead of air oxidation. The products of this reaction are hydrogen, carbon monoxide, elemental sulfur, water vapor and carbonyl sulfide. Carbonyl sulfide is easily converted to H₂S and C0₂ by liquid- or vapor-phase hydrolysis. Unreacted H₂S and C0₂ are recovered by absorption and recycled to the reactor. Since no air is introduced, there is no tail gas and the tail-gas unit is eliminated, giving a substantial reduction in capital investment. The concentrations of sulfur-containing gases in the product streams depend only on the operation of the absorber and stripper units and can be controlled to very low levels by increasing stripper boil-up. Process operating costs depend on the level of sulfur recovery required and can also be much lower than those of the modified Claus Process.

The process chemistry depends on a shift in the equilibrium of H₂S decomposition caused by reaction of hydrogen with C0₂ by the reverse of the water-gas-shift reaction. Catalysts for this chemistry have been identified. Reactor conversion is further improved by rapid cooling of the reactor effluent gas. Other aspects of process design and operation confer further advantages with respect to the Claus process; however, the process equipment used is similar to that used in a Claus plant. Retrofit of existing plant to the new technology can therefore be considered.