Decreasing hydrogen sulfide concentration of a gas

Patent · Tue May 02 04:00:00 EDT 1978

OSTI ID:6541395

Cha, C Y

A process is described for treating gas, formed in the retorting of oil shale, to remove hydrogen sulfide from it. The off gas contains hydrogen, nitrogen, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, methane and other hydrocarbons, water vapor, and hydrogen sulfide, but should first be purged of the pollutant hydrogen sulfide before being used as fuel or disposed of. The hydrogen sulfide, which can be present at concentrations in the range of 1,500 to 3,000 ppm by vol, is generated from naturally occurring sulfur compounds in oil shale during the heating and combustion in the in situ oil shale retort. The hydrogen sulfide concentration and total sulfur concentration of the gas are reduced by combining hydrogen sulfide in the gas with oxygen in the presence of a fragmented permeable mass of particles containing retorted oil shale. Acidic sulfur gases formed by the redox reaction are neutralized by the alkaline earth oxides in the retorted oil shale. (14 claims)

• Assignee: Occidental Oil Shale Inc.
• Patent Number(s): US 4086962
• OSTI ID: 6541395
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

04 OIL SHALES AND TAR SANDS
040404* -- Oil Shales & Tar Sands-- Purification
BITUMINOUS MATERIALS
CARBONACEOUS MATERIALS
CHALCOGENIDES
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
DECOMPOSITION
DESULFURIZATION
ENERGY SOURCES
FLUIDS
FOSSIL FUELS
FUELS
GASES
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
HYDROGEN SULFIDES
IN-SITU PROCESSING
IN-SITU RETORTING
MATERIALS
OIL SHALES
PROCESSING
REMOVAL
RETORTING
SHALE GAS
SULFIDES
SULFUR COMPOUNDS