Institut Francais Du Pe'trole

Christophe Berat

Jean-Charles Viltard

Christian R Busson

Claude Dezael

Jean-Claude Mileo

A process for the extraction of hydrogen sulphide from a gas mixture comprises: a step (a) in which the gas mixture is passed into an aqueous acidic solution of copper sulphate under conditions which lead to the formation of copper sulphide; a gas which is highly depleted in hydrogen sulphide and an aqueous phase containing copper sulphide in suspension are recovered; a step (b) in which the copper sulphide contained in suspension in the aqueous phase from step (a) is oxidised using an oxygen-containing gas under conditions which lead to the formation of solid elemental sulphur and soluble copper sulphate from this liquid phase; and a step (c) in which the solid sulphur and the solid copper sulphide which is not transformed during step (b) are separated and at least a portion of the aqueous acidic phase containing the copper sulphate formed during step (b) is optionally recycled to step (a). The process is used to absorb hydrogen sulphide contained in a variety of industrial gases.

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Ecully, France

Christophe Berat