Recovery of elemental sulfur from acidic gases

Claim 1

A METHOD OF PRODUCING ELEMENTAL SULPHUR FROM SULPHIDE-CONTAINING GASES BY REACTION WITH A QUANTITY OF AIR REGULATED TO EFFECT THE FORMATION OF ELEMENTAL SULPHUR WHICH COMPRISES, PASSING A POTENTIALLY REACTIVE GAS MIXTURE THROUGH A CONFINED REACTION ZONE, EFFECTING OXIDIZING REACTIONS OF SAID MIXTURE IN SAID ZONE, DISCHARGING THE GASEOUS PRODUCTS OF REACTION FROM SAID ZONE AT A TEMPERATURE OF BETWEEN ABOUT 1800*F. TO ABOUT 2400*F., COOLING THE EXIT REACTION GASES, CONTACTING SAID COOLED REACTION GASES WITH A CATALYST, SCRUBBING SAID CATALYST TREATED GASES WITH A COOLANT TO CONDENSE AND RECOVER ELEMENTAL SULPHUR THEREFROM, PASSING THE SCRUBBED GASES IN INDIRECT HEAT EXCHANGE RELATIONSHIP WITH GASES DISCHARGED FROM SAID REACTION ZONE TO PREHEAT SAID SCRUBBED GASES TO A TEMPERATURE OF BETWEEN ABOUT 350*F. AND 700*F., CONTACTING SUCH PREHEATED SCRUBBED GASES WITH A CATALYST TO EFFECT FURTHER REACTION OF SULPHUR-CONTAINING GASES THEREIN TO ELEMENTAL SULPHUR, AND SEPARATING AND RECOVERING ELEMENTAL SULPHUR THUS FORMED BY SCRUBBING SUCH GASES WITH A COOLANT.

Claim 2

A METHOD OF PRODUCING ELEMENTAL SULPHUR FROM SULPHIDE-CONTAINING GASES BY REACTION WITH A QUANTITY OF AIR REGULATED TO EFFECT THE FORMATION OF ELEMENTAL SULPHUR WHICH COMPRISES, PASSING A POTENTIALLY REACTIVE GAS MIXTURE THROUGH A CONFINED REACTION ZONE, EFFECTING OXIDIZING REACTIONS OF SAID MIXTURE IN SAID ZONE, DISCHARGING THE GASEOUS PRODUCTS OF REACTION FROM SAID ZONE AT A TEMPERATURE OF BETWEEN ABOUT 1800*F. TO ABOUT 2400*F., COOLING THE EXIT REACTION GASES, CONTACTING SAID COOLED REACTION GASES WITH A CATALYST, SCRUBBING SAID CATALYST TREATED GASES WITH A COOLANT TO CONDENSE AND RECOVER ELEMENTAL SULPHUR THEREFROM, PASSING THE SCRUBBED GASES IN INDIRECT HEAT EXCHANGE RELATIONSHIP WITH GASES DISCHARGED FROM SAID REACTION ZONE TO PREHEAT SAID SCRUBBED GASES TO A TEMPERATURE OF BETWEEN ABOUT 350*F. AND 700*F., CONTACTING SUCH PREHEATED SCRUBBED GASES WITH A CATALYST TO EFFECT FURTHER REACTION OF SULPHUR-CONTAINING GASES THEREIN TO ELEMENTAL SULPHUR, AND SEPARATING AND RECOVERING ELEMENTAL SULPHUR THUS FORMED BY SCRUBBING SUCH GASES WITH A COOLANT.