Process for the economical use of refractory reducing gases for the reduction of sulfur dioxide

Claim 1

IN A PROCESS OF REDUCING SULFUR DIOXIDE WITH A REFRACTORY GAS SELECTED FROM THE GROUP METHANE, ETHANE, BENZENE, NATURAL GAS AND MIXTURES THEREOF TO PRODUCE ELEMENTAL SULFUR, HYDROGEN SULFIDE, CARBONYL SULFIDE, CARBONYL DISULFIDE, ALONG WITH CARBON MONOXIDE AND ELEMENTAL HYDROGEN WHICH CAN BE FURTHER UTILIZED IN REDUCTION OF SO2, AND CARBON DIOXIDE AND WATER; THE IMPROVEMENT FOR PROVIDING SUBSTANTIALLY COMPLETE OXIDATION OF THE REFRACTORY GAS AT EFFICIENT SPACE VELOCITIES AND TEMPERATURES, WHICH COMPRISES CONTACTING, IN ESSENTIALLY STOICHIOMETRIC PROPORTION, A REACTANT GAS STREAM COMPRISING SULFUR DIOXIDE AND THE REFRACTORY REDUCING GAS WITH A SUPPORTED CATALYST SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF THE OXIDES OF MANGANESE, CHROMIUM, BARIUM, STRONTIUM, CALCIUM, TATALUM, AND THE RARE EARTH CHROMITES AND MIXTURES AND SOLID STATE REACTION PRODUCTS THEREOF IN COMBINATION WITH THORIA AND LANTHANUM AT A TEMPERATURE OF AT LEAST 650*C. AT A SPACE VELOCITY OF AT LEAST 100 HR.-1.