Method of oxidizing hydrogen sulfide

Patent · Tue May 02 04:00:00 EDT 1978

OSTI ID:6570256

Compton, L E

A process is described for removing hydrogen sulfide from the gases formed in the in situ retorting of oil shale. The gas, which contains nitrogen, hydrogen, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, methane, water vapor, hydrocarbons, and hydrogen sulfide, can be used as a fuel or otherwise disposed of, but should first be purged of the hydrogen sulfide, which is a pollutant. The hydrogen sulfide, which can be present at concentrations 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 retort. The hydrogen sulfide concentration is reduced by reacting hydrogen sulfide in the gas with oxygen in the presence of raw oil shale. The ratio of sulfur dioxide to sulfur produced by this reaction depends upon the molar ratio of oxygen to hydrogen sulfide present. Sulfur is the predominant product when hydrogen sulfide is reacted in the presence of oil shale with less than about one mole of oxygen for each 2 moles of hydrogen sulfide. Acidic sulfur gases formed by the redox reaction are neutralized by the alkaline earth carbonates in the unretorted oil shale. (18 claims)

• Assignee: Occidental Oil Shale Inc.
• Patent Number(s): US 4086963
• OSTI ID: 6570256
• 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
ELEMENTS
ENERGY SOURCES
FLUIDS
FOSSIL FUELS
FUELS
GASES
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
HYDROGEN SULFIDES
IN-SITU PROCESSING
IN-SITU RETORTING
MATERIALS
NONMETALS
OIL SHALES
OXIDIZERS
PROCESSING
REMOVAL
RETORTING
SHALE GAS
SULFIDES
SULFUR
SULFUR COMPOUNDS