Separation of hydrogen sulfide and methane

Claim 1

A PROCESS FOR THE RECOVERY OF SULFUR AND A NORMALLY GASEOUS HYDROCARBON FROM A MIXTURE CONTAINING SAME WHICH COMPRISES COOLING A MIXTURE CONTAINING METHANE AND HYDROGEN SULFIDE IN AN AMOUNT ABOVE 6 MOLE PERCENT WHILE UNDER A PRESSURE ABOVE 450 POUNDS PER SQUARE INCH BSOLUTE TO A TEMPERATURE SUFFICIENTLY LOW TO FORM TWO LIQUID PHASES AND A VAPOR PHASE, SAID VAPOR PHASE BEING RICH IN METHANE AND CONTAINING NOT MORE THAN 6 MOLE PERCENT HYDROGEN SULFIDE, ONE OF SIAD LIQUID PHASES BEING RICH IN METHANE AND CONTAINING A MINOR AMOUNT OF HYDROGEEN SULFIDE AND THE OTHER OF SAID LIQUID PHASES BEING RICH IN HYDROGEN SULFIDE, EXPANDING SIAD VAPOR PHASE AND SAID METHANE RICH LIQUID PHASE TO REDUCE THE TEMPERATURE TO NOT HIGHER THAN -258*F. SUCH THAT SOLID HYDROGEN SULFIDE IS FORMED, PASSING SAID COOLED PHASES CONTAINING SOLID HYDROGEN SULFIDE TO A SEPARATION ZONE TO REMOVE SOLID HYDROGEN SULFIDE FROM METHANE, RECOVERING THE METHANE FROM SAID SEPARATION ZONE CONTAINING LESS THAN 0.1 MOLE PERCENT HYDROGEN SULFIDE, RECOVERING SAID LIQUID HYDROGEN SULFIDE RICH PHASE, TREATING SAID LIQUID HYDROGEN SULFIDE PHASE TO PRODUCE FREE SULFUR FROM THE HYDROGEN SULFIDE, AND RECOVERING THE FREE SULFUR THUS PRODUCED.