Cyclic process for recovering sulfur from hydrogen sulfide

Claim 1

THE METHOD OF TREATING HYDROGEN SULFIDE BEARING GASES TO REMOVE HYDROGEN SULFIDE THEREFROM AND CONVERT IT TO SULFUR COMPRISING INTRODUCING OXYGEN AND SULFUR DIOXIDE INTO THE HYDROGEN SULFIDE BEARING GAS TO BE TREATED IN SUBSTANTIALLY STOICHIOMETRIC QUANTITIES FOR CONVERTING THE HUDROGEN SULFIDE TO SULFUR, REACTING THE HYDROGEN SULFIDE WITH SAID OXYGEN AND SULFUR DIOXIDE TO PRODUCE SULFUR, COOLING SAID GASES TO CONDENSE SAID SULFUR, REMOVING SAID SULFUR, INTRODUCING OXYGEN INTO SAID GASES IN SUBSTANTIALLY STOICHIOMETRIC QUANTITIES FOR CONVERTING UNREACTED HYDROGEN SULFIDE AND UNCONDENSED SULFUR TO PRODUCE SULFUR DIOXIDE, SUBJECTING SAID GASES TO THE ACTION OF A LIQUID ABSORBENT FOR SAID SULFUR DIOXIDE, SEPARATING SAID GASES AND SAID ABSORBENT AND DISCARDING THE REMAINDER OF SAID GASES, STRIPPING SAID BOABORBENT OF THE ABSORBED SULFUR DIOXIDE BY PASSING OXYGEN TO BE INTRODUCED INTO THE HYDROGEN SULFIDE BEARING GASES THROUGH SAID LIQUID ABSORBENT AND CONTROLLING THE QUANTITY OF SAID OXYGEN TO PROVIDE WITH SAID OXYGEN AND THE SULFUR DIOXIDE STRIPPED FROM SAID ABSORBENT SUBSTANTIALLY STOICHIOMETRIC QUANTITIES OF OXYGEN AND SULFUR DIOXIDE FOR INTRODUCTION INTO THE HYDROGEN SULFIDE BEARING GAS TO BE TREATED TO CONVERT THE HYDROGEN SULFIDE THEREIN TO SULFUR AND INTRODUCING SAID MIXTURE OF OXYGEN AND SULFUR DIOXIDE INTO SAID GAS TO BE TREATED AND CYCLICALLY CONTINUING SAID PROCESS WHEREBY SUBSTANTIALLY QUANTITATIVE REMOVAL OF HYDROGEN SULFIDE IS EFFECTED.

Claim 2

THE METHOD OF TREATING HYDROGEN SULFIDE BEARING GASES TO REMOVE HYDROGEN SULFIDE THEREFROM AND CONVERT IT TO SULFUR COMPRISING INTRODUCING OXYGEN AND SULFUR DIOXIDE INTO THE HYDROGEN SULFIDE BEARING GAS TO BE TREATED IN SUBSTANTIALLY STOICHIOMETRIC QUANTITIES FOR CONVERTING THE HUDROGEN SULFIDE TO SULFUR, REACTING THE HYDROGEN SULFIDE WITH SAID OXYGEN AND SULFUR DIOXIDE TO PRODUCE SULFUR, COOLING SAID GASES TO CONDENSE SAID SULFUR, REMOVING SAID SULFUR, INTRODUCING OXYGEN INTO SAID GASES IN SUBSTANTIALLY STOICHIOMETRIC QUANTITIES FOR CONVERTING UNREACTED HYDROGEN SULFIDE AND UNCONDENSED SULFUR TO PRODUCE SULFUR DIOXIDE, SUBJECTING SAID GASES TO THE ACTION OF A LIQUID ABSORBENT FOR SAID SULFUR DIOXIDE, SEPARATING SAID GASES AND SAID ABSORBENT AND DISCARDING THE REMAINDER OF SAID GASES, STRIPPING SAID BOABORBENT OF THE ABSORBED SULFUR DIOXIDE BY PASSING OXYGEN TO BE INTRODUCED INTO THE HYDROGEN SULFIDE BEARING GASES THROUGH SAID LIQUID ABSORBENT AND CONTROLLING THE QUANTITY OF SAID OXYGEN TO PROVIDE WITH SAID OXYGEN AND THE SULFUR DIOXIDE STRIPPED FROM SAID ABSORBENT SUBSTANTIALLY STOICHIOMETRIC QUANTITIES OF OXYGEN AND SULFUR DIOXIDE FOR INTRODUCTION INTO THE HYDROGEN SULFIDE BEARING GAS TO BE TREATED TO CONVERT THE HYDROGEN SULFIDE THEREIN TO SULFUR AND INTRODUCING SAID MIXTURE OF OXYGEN AND SULFUR DIOXIDE INTO SAID GAS TO BE TREATED AND CYCLICALLY CONTINUING SAID PROCESS WHEREBY SUBSTANTIALLY QUANTITATIVE REMOVAL OF HYDROGEN SULFIDE IS EFFECTED.