Dual combustion oxygen-enriched claus sulfur plant

Patent · Tue Oct 25 04:00:00 EDT 1988

OSTI ID:6477838

Steppe, R J

This patent describes a process for the production of sulfur by reaction of hydrogen sulfide and sulfur dioxide wherein a feed of hydrogen sulfide is oxidized in part to sulfur dioxide to form reactants which yield sulfur by the modified catalytic Claus reaction. The improvement consists of: (a) introducing to a first combustion zone at least a portion of a hydrogen sulfide rich gas stream containing at least about 10% by volume hydrogen sulfide and a first oxygen rich gas containing at least about 30% by volume oxygen in a proportion to achieve by combustion a first sulfur dioxide containing product gas stream at a combustion flame temperature of from about 1000/sup 0/F to about 3600/sup 0/F; (b) cooling the first product gas stream to a termperture from about 240/sup 0/F to about 3000/sup 0/; and (c) introducing the cooled first product gas stream to at least a second combustion zone with additional oxygen rich gas stream containing at least about 30% by volume oxygen to combust additional hydrogen sulfide and yield a second sulfur dioxide containing product gas stream at a combustion flame temperature of from about 1000/sup 0/F to about 3600/sup 0/F, the amount of hydrogen sulfide and oxygen fed to the combustion zones being proportioned to provide on completion of combustion a gas stream having a mole ratio of hydrogen sulfide to sulfur dioxide of about 2:1 for feed to a catalytic Claus convertor to achieve formation of sulfur by reaction of residual hydrogen sulfide with sulfur dioxide formed during combustion in the combustion zones.

• Assignee: Ralph M. Parsons Co., Pasadena, CA
• Patent Number(s): US 4780305
• OSTI ID: 6477838
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY
400201* -- Chemical & Physicochemical Properties
CATALYSTS
CHALCOGENIDES
CHEMICAL REACTION KINETICS
CHEMICAL REACTION YIELD
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
CHEMICAL REACTORS
CLAUS PROCESS
COMBUSTION
COOLING
ELEMENTS
ENRICHMENT
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
HYDROGEN SULFIDES
KINETICS
NONMETALS
OXIDATION
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
OXYGEN ENRICHMENT
PRODUCTION
REACTION KINETICS
SULFIDES
SULFUR
SULFUR COMPOUNDS
SULFUR DIOXIDE
SULFUR OXIDES
THERMOCHEMICAL PROCESSES
VERY HIGH TEMPERATURE
YIELDS