Recovery of sulfur from sulfur dioxide rich aqueous absorbents

Abstract

The invention is an improved method for regenerating liquid streams which contain sulfur dioxide. The method comprises providing a body of liquid which contains sulfur dioxide having a free space above the surface; forming a mixture of gas bubbles in the liquid by admixing a sufficient amount of gas containing hydrogen sulfide with the liquid to react with the liquid to form sulfur and to provide a sufficient amount of gas bubbles to separate sulfur formed from the body of the liquid by flotation. The method is particularly useful for regenerating aqueous absorbents in cyclic processes for removing sulfur dioxide from gas streams. A preferred method is to admix a sufficient amount of a gas containing hydrogen sulfide with a whirling mass of aqueous absorbent in the body of aqueous absorbent and passing the mixture through a zone of stationary apertures wherein the size of the gas bubbles in the mixture is reduced and whereby hydrogen sulfide in the gas is reacted with the aqueous absorbent to form sulfur and the sulfur is floated to the surface of the body of absorbent by the rising gas bubbles and recovered. The absorbent can be substantially regenerated and a major portion of the sulfur separated from the aqueous absorbent by this procedure.