Method for refining dry hydrogen sulphide-containing gaseous hydrocarbon mixtures

Claim 1

A CYCLICAL PROCESS FOR RECOVERING H2S FROM A COMPRESSED NATURAL GAS CONTAINING H2S IN HIGH CONCENTRATION TOGETHER WITH A MAJOR AMOUNT OF METHANE, COMPRISING THE STEPS OF ELIMINATING MOISTURE FROM A MOISTURE-LADEN ORGANIC SOLVENT OF TEH GROUP CONSISTING OF TETRALIN, ETHYLBENZENE AND PROPYLBENZENE BY CONTACTING SAID SOLVENT WITH DRY GAS; COMPRESSING THE RESULTING DRY ORGANIC SOLVENT; SCRUBBING THE COMPRESSED NATURAL GAS WITH THE COMPRESSED DRY SOLVENT IN A SCRUBBING ZONE; REMOVING PURIFIED NATURAL GAS; WITHDAWING THE ORGANIC SOLVENT SATURATED WITH H2S AND WITH METHANE; REDUCING THE PRESSURE THEREOF IN A SEPARATE ZONE TO A PRESSURE SUFFICIENT TO FLASH OFF THE METHANE; WARMING THE ORGANIC SOLVENT SOLUTION RICH IN H2S IN INDIRECT COUNTERCURRENT HEAT EXCHANGE WITH LEAN DRIED ORGANIC SOLVENT; STRIPPING THE ORGANIC SOLVENT RICH IN H2S BY DIRECT CONTACT WITH STEAM TO EXPEL THE H2S THEREBY OBTAINING A MIXTURE OF H2S AND STEAM AND MOISTURE-LADEN ORGANIC SOLVENT; RECOVERING THE H2S FROM SAID MIXTURE BY CONDENSING THE STEAM; AND RE-CYCLING THE MOISTURE-LADEN ORGANIC SOLVENT TO THE DRYING STEP IN A REPETITION OF THE CYCLE.