Separation process

Claim 1

THE PROCESS WHICH COMPRISES: (1) CONTACTING A SOUR NATURAL GAS CONTAINING AT LEAST 0.1 MOL PERCENT HYDROGEN SULFIDE TOGETHER WITH NORMALLY GASEOUS HYDROCARBONS UNDER A PRESSURE IN EXCESS OF ABOUT 10 P.S.I.A. WITH A DIALKYL N-SUBSTITUTED ALIPHATIC ACID AMIDE IN A RECTIFIED ABSORPTION ZONE, THE TEMPERATURE DIFFERENTIAL BETWEEN THE TOP AND BOTTOM OF THE ZONE BEING BETWEEN ABOUT 50*F. AND ABOUT 150*F. WHEREBY HYDROGEN SULFIDE IS ABSORBED AND SEPARATED FROM REJECTED HYDROCARBONS; (2) INTRODUCING SULFUR DIOXIDE INTO THE ABSORPTION ZONE, WHEREBY ELEMENTAL SULFUR IS FORMED BY REACTION BETWEEN SULFUR DIOXIDE AND HYDROGEN SULFIDE; (3) SEPARATING ELEMENTAL SULFUR FROM THE AMIDE; (4) OXIDIZING SULFUR SO SEPARATED TO FORM SULFUR DIOXIDE; (5) INJECTING SULFUR DIOXIDE FROM STEP (4) FOR THE ABSORPTION ZONE OF STEP (2); AND (6) RECYCLING AMIDE FROM STEP (3) TO THE ABSORPTION ZONE IN STEP (1).