Sulfur recovery apparatus

Claim 1

APPARATUS FOR THE REMOVAL OF HYDROGEN SULFIDE FROM GAS CONTAINING THE SAME, WHICH COMPRISES THE COMBINATION OF A REACTION CHAMBER FOR CONTACTING SAID GAS WITH SULFUR DIOXIDE IN THE PRESENCE OF AN ORGANIC SOLVENT TO INDUCE REACTION BETWEEN HYDROGEN SULFIDE AND SULFUR DIOXIDE WHEREBY SULFUR AND WATER ARE FORMED, A LOWER INLET CONNECTION FOR SAID GAS INTO SAID REACTION CHAMBER, AN UPPER INLET CONNECTION FOR A SOLUTION OF SAID SULFUR DIOXIDE IN A FIRST PORTION OF SAID ORGANIC SOLVENT INTO SAID REACTION CHAMBER, MIXING MEANS WITHIN SAID REACTION CHAMBER TO EFFECT CONTACT BETWEEN SAID SOUR GAS, SAID SULFUR DIOXIDE AND SAID FIRST PORTION OF SAID ORGANIC SOLVENT, A FIRST ABSORBER CHAMBER FOR CONTACTING TREATED GAS FROM THE REACTOR CHAMBER WITH A SECOND PORTION OF SAID ORGANIC SOLVENT TO ABSORB AND REMOVE SULFUR DIOXIDE FROM SAID TREATED GAS AND COMMUNICATING WITH SAID REACTION CHAMBER TO CYCLE GAS BETWEEN SAID REACTION CHAMBER AND SAID FIRST ABSORBER CHAMBER, AN OUTLET CONNECTION FOR TREATED GAS AT THE TOP OF SAID FIRST ABSORBER CHAMBER, AN INLET CONNECTION NEAR THE TOP OF SAID FIRST ABSORBER CHAMBER FOR INTRODUCTION OF SAID SECOND PORTION OF SAID ORGANIC SOLVENT, AN OUTLET CONECTION FOR SAID ORGANIC SOLVENT CONTAINING WATER AND SULFUR FROM THE BOTTOM OF SAID REACTION CHAMBER, MEANS FOR HEATING SAID ORGANIC SOLVENT CONTAINING WATER AND SULFUR TO A TEMPERATURE ABOVE THE MELTING POINT OF SULFUR TO LIQUIFY AND COAGULATE SAID SULFUR, MEANS FOR SEPARATING SAID LIQUIFIED SULFUR FROM SAID ORGANIC SOLVENT CONTAINING WATER, STILL MEANS FOR DRYING SAID ORGANIC SOLVENT BY HEATING IT TO A TEMPERATURE WHEREAT THE WATER CONTAINED THEREIN IS EVAPORATED, A SECOND ABSORBER CHAMBER, MEANS FOR CYCLING SAID DRIED ORGANIC SOLVENT TO SAID SECOND ABSORBER CHAMBER, AN INLET CONNECTION NEAR THE TOP OF SAID SECOND ABSORBER CHAMBER WHEREIN THE ORGANIC SOLVENT IS INTRODUCED AND DESCENDS COUNTERCURRENT TO A STREAM OF SULFUR DIOXIDE GAS AND IS REMOVED FROM THE BOTTOM OF SAID SECOND ABSORBER CHAMBER THROUGH AN OUTLET CONNECTION, AN INLET CONNECTION FOR SULFUR DIOXIDE NEAR THE BOTTOM OF SAID SECOND ABSORBER CHAMBER, PUMPING MEANS FOR TRANSFERRING SAID ORGANIC SOLVENT CONTAINING SULFUR DIOXIED FROM THE OUTLET OF SAID SECOND ABSORBER CHAMBER TO THE UPPER INLET CONNECTION INTO SAID REACTION CHAMBER.