Hydrogen sulfide removal from contaminated sulfur

Claim 2

A process for reducing the hydrogen sulfide content of hydrogen-sulfide-contaminated elemental sulfur, said sulfur containing at least an appreciable amount of said contaminant, which comprises extracting hydrogen sulfide from the sulfur by contacting the sulfur in the liquid phase with water, said contacting being effected using from 2 to about 10 extraction stages, being at a pressure sufficient to maintain the water in the liquid phase and at a temperature in the range from about the melting point of said sulfur to about 165° C.

Claim 3

A process as in claim 1 further characterized in that said temperature is in the range from about 113° to 140° C and said pressure is in the range from about 1.6 to 10 atmospheres.

Claim 4

A process as in claim 1 wherein said extraction is effected in about 2 to 6 stages.

Claim 5

A process as in claim 1 wherein said contacting is carried out in a liquid-liquid extractor.

Claim 6

A process as in claim 4 wherein said extractor is a continuous (differential) contact extractor.

Claim 7

A process as in claim 1 wherein said contacting is aided by steam stripping.

Claim 8

A process for effectively reducing the hydrogen sulfide content of hydrogen-sulfide-contaminated elemental sulfur which comprises extracting said contaminant from said sulfur by contacting the sulfur with water at a temperature of about 127° C and at a pressure of about 35 psig, said contacting being effected using from 2 to about 10 extraction stages, thereby reducing said contaminant content to less than about 1 ppm (weight).

Claim 9

A process for effectively reducing the hydrogen sulfide content of hydrogen-sulfide-contaminated elemental sulfur which comprises extracting said contaminant from said sulfur by contacting the sulfur with water at a temperature of about 127° C and at a pressure of about 35 psig, said contacting being effected using from 2 to about 10 extraction stages, thereby reducing said contaminant content to less than about 1 ppm (weight).

Claim 10

A process for reducing the hydrogen sulfide content of hydrogen-sulfide-contaminated elemental sulfur, said sulfur containing an amount of hydrogen sulfide in the range from about 25 to 1000 ppm, which consists essentially of extracting hydrogen sulfide from said sulfur by contacting said sulfur in the liquid phase with water, said contacting being at a temperature of about 127° C and being effected in 2-10 stages in a liquid-liquid countercurrent extractor maintained at a pressure of about 3.4 atmospheres using a volume ratio of water to sulfur of 3-6:1, respectively, and recovering the resulting water-extracted sulfur, said sulfur containing less than about 1 ppm of hydrogen sulfide.

Claim 11

A process for reducing the hydrogen sulfide content of hydrogen-sulfide-contaminated elemental sulfur, said sulfur containing an amount of hydrogen sulfide in the range from about 25 to 1000 ppm, which consists essentially of extracting hydrogen sulfide from said sulfur by contacting said sulfur in the liquid phase with water, said contacting being at a temperature of about 127° C and being effected in 2-10 stages in a liquid-liquid countercurrent extractor maintained at a pressure of about 3.4 atmospheres using a volume ratio of water to sulfur of 3-6:1, respectively, and recovering the resulting water-extracted sulfur, said sulfur containing less than about 1 ppm of hydrogen sulfide.

Claim 12

A process for reducing the hydrogen sulfide content of hydrogen-sulfide-contaminated elemental sulfur, said sulfur containing at least an appreciable amount of said contaminant, which comprises extracting hydrogen sulfide from the sulfur by contacting the sulfur in the liquid phase with water using from 2 to about 10 extraction stages in a liquid-liquid extractor, said contacting being at a pressure sufficient to maintain the water in the liquid phase and at a temperature in the range from about the melting point of said sulfur to about 165° C, including the steps: 1. withdrawing said water extractant from said liquid-liquid extractor, 2. passing said withdrawn water to a gas-liquid stripper, 3. separating hydrogen sulfide from said water in said gas-liquid stripper, 4. withdrawing the resulting hydrogen sulfide stripped water from said stripper, and 5. passing at least a portion of said hydrogen sulfide stripped water in recycle to said liquid-liquid extractor.

Claim 13

A process for reducing the hydrogen sulfide content of hydrogen-sulfide-contaminated elemental sulfur, said sulfur containing at least an appreciable amount of said contaminant, which comprises extracting hydrogen sulfide from the sulfur by contacting the sulfur in the liquid phase with water using from 2 to about 10 extraction stages in a liquid-liquid extractor, said contacting being at a pressure sufficient to maintain the water in the liquid phase and at a temperature in the range from about the melting point of said sulfur to about 165° C, including the steps: 1. withdrawing said water extractant from said liquid-liquid extractor, 2. passing said withdrawn water to a gas-liquid stripper, 3. separating hydrogen sulfide from said water in said gas-liquid stripper, 4. withdrawing the resulting hydrogen sulfide stripped water from said stripper, and 5. passing at least a portion of said hydrogen sulfide stripped water in recycle to said liquid-liquid extractor.

Claim 14

A process for effectively reducing the hydrogen sulfide content of hydrogen-sulfide-contaminated elemental sulfur, which comprises extracting said contaminant from said sulfur by contacting the sulfur with water at a temperature of about 127° C and at a pressure of about 35 psig, said contacting being effective using from 2 to about 10 extraction stages, including the steps: 1. separating said extracted sulfur and said water, 2. passing said separated water to a gas-liquid stripper, 3. separating hydrogen sulfide from said withdrawn water in said gas-liquid stripper, 4. withdrawing the resulting hydrogen sulfide stripped water from said gas-liquid stripper, and

Claim 15

A process for effectively reducing the hydrogen sulfide content of hydrogen-sulfide-contaminated elemental sulfur, which comprises extracting said contaminant from said sulfur by contacting the sulfur with water at a temperature of about 127° C and at a pressure of about 35 psig, said contacting being effective using from 2 to about 10 extraction stages, including the steps: 1. separating said extracted sulfur and said water, 2. passing said separated water to a gas-liquid stripper, 3. separating hydrogen sulfide from said withdrawn water in said gas-liquid stripper, 4. withdrawing the resulting hydrogen sulfide stripped water from said gas-liquid stripper, and

Claim 16

passing at least a portion of said hydrogen sulfide stripped water in recycle to said process.

Claim 17

passing at least a portion of said hydrogen sulfide stripped water in recycle to said process.