Process for the separation of sulfur oxides from a gaseous mixture containing sulfur oxides and oxygen

Claim 1

In a process for the separation of inorganic sulfur oxides by oxidation of said inorganic sulfur oxides from a gaseous mixture containing said inorganic sulfur oxides and oxygen in which said gaseous mixture is contacted with a solid sulfur oxides acceptor comprising copper, copper oxide or a mixture thereof dispersed on a carrier material at a temperature of from about 150° C. to about 450° C. and in which said acceptor is regenerated with a reducing gas, the improvement which comprises the addition to said carrier material of about 0.01 to about 1.0 wt.% of said solid acceptor of a platinum group metal or an oxide thereof and a component of about 0.01 to about 1.0 wt.% of said solid acceptor selected from the group consisting of germanium, rhenium, tin and oxides thereof.