Bethlehem Steel Corporation

Charles W Sheldrake

Alan H Singleton

Daniel Kwasnoski

Otto A Homberg

Joseph A Laslo

Mehmet O Tarhan

A method and apparatus for selectively removing a desired gaseous component from a gas stream containing at least two gaseous components and having a variable flow rate. The absorber is divided into at least two individual absorption volumes connected in series in which the gas and absorbent solution can countercurrently contact each other and includes means to control the passage of the fluid streams through the individual absorption volumes.

Selective removal of a gaseous component from a multi-component gas

Integrating an absorption-desorption step, a Claus plant, and a catalytic hydrogen reactor in a recycle loop provides a gas-desulfuration plant that operates at a substantially zero emission level. Hydrogen sulfide is removed from industrial gas streams by absorption-desorption in a liquid absorbent. The resulting foul gas is then reacted with sulfur dioxide in a Claus reaction, i.e., the reaction of hydrogen sulfide with sulfur dioxide to form elemental sulfur and water. The tail gas from this Claus reaction is then passed through a catalytic hydrogenation reactor together with a supply of hydrogen to reduce the sulfur and sulfur compounds to hydrogen sulfide. The now reduced tail gas is then recycled back to the industrial gas, upstream of the absorption-desorption step.

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Bethlehem, PA, United States of America

Charles W Sheldrake