Method for obtaining elemental sulphur from pyrite or pyrite concentrates

Claim 1

THE METHOD OF OBTAINING ELEMENTAL SULPHUR AND MOLTEN IRON SULFIDE FROM PYRITE, FES2, WHICH COMPRISES FINELY DIVIDING SAID PYRITE TO FORM GAS SUSPENDABLE PARTICLES, DIRECTING A STREAM OF SUBSTANTIALLY NON-OXIDIZING GAS CONTAINING AT MOST ONLY TRACES OF SO2 AND O2 HEATED TO A TEMPERATURE MARKEDLY ABOVE 1200*C. DOWNWARDLY IN A CONFINED PATH IN A REACTION CHAMBER, FEEDING SAID THUS FORMED PARTICLES OF FINELY DIVIDED PYRITE INTO SAID STREAM OF HEATED SUBSTANTIALLY NON-OXIDIZING GAS SO AS TO FORM A DOWNWARDLY FLOWING SUSPENSION OF SAID FINELY DIVIDED PYRITE IN SAID GAS, WHEREBY THE PARTICLES ARE HEATED BY THE GAS AND DECOMPOSE UNDER NON-OXIDIZING CONDITIONS INTO FES AND VOLATILIZED ELEMENTAL S, SEPARATING THE VOLATILIZED ELEMENTAL SULPHUR FROM THE THUS PRODUCED FES, MAINTAINING THE TEMPERATURE OF THE GAS AT LEAST SLIGHTLY ABOVE THE MELTING POINT OF FES THROUGHOUT SAID DOWNWARD PATH, INCLUDING THE LOWER END THEREOF, AND COLLECTING THE THUS PRODUCED FES IN MOLTEN FORM AS A MATTE AT THE LOWER END OF SAID DOWNWARD PATH OF THE GAS IN THE REACTION CHAMBER.

Claim 2

THE METHOD OF OBTAINING ELEMENTAL SULPHUR AND MOLTEN IRON SULFIDE FROM PYRITE, FES2, WHICH COMPRISES FINELY DIVIDING SAID PYRITE TO FORM GAS SUSPENDABLE PARTICLES, DIRECTING A STREAM OF SUBSTANTIALLY NON-OXIDIZING GAS CONTAINING AT MOST ONLY TRACES OF SO2 AND O2 HEATED TO A TEMPERATURE MARKEDLY ABOVE 1200*C. DOWNWARDLY IN A CONFINED PATH IN A REACTION CHAMBER, FEEDING SAID THUS FORMED PARTICLES OF FINELY DIVIDED PYRITE INTO SAID STREAM OF HEATED SUBSTANTIALLY NON-OXIDIZING GAS SO AS TO FORM A DOWNWARDLY FLOWING SUSPENSION OF SAID FINELY DIVIDED PYRITE IN SAID GAS, WHEREBY THE PARTICLES ARE HEATED BY THE GAS AND DECOMPOSE UNDER NON-OXIDIZING CONDITIONS INTO FES AND VOLATILIZED ELEMENTAL S, SEPARATING THE VOLATILIZED ELEMENTAL SULPHUR FROM THE THUS PRODUCED FES, MAINTAINING THE TEMPERATURE OF THE GAS AT LEAST SLIGHTLY ABOVE THE MELTING POINT OF FES THROUGHOUT SAID DOWNWARD PATH, INCLUDING THE LOWER END THEREOF, AND COLLECTING THE THUS PRODUCED FES IN MOLTEN FORM AS A MATTE AT THE LOWER END OF SAID DOWNWARD PATH OF THE GAS IN THE REACTION CHAMBER.