Method of removing sulfur from a process gas stream using a packed bed

Abstract

The present invention reduces the sulfur and odor emissions from a paper-making Kraft process by recovering the sulfur in the non-combustible gases (NGCs) emitted by the Kraft process. In a first embodiment of the invention, the NGCs are flamelessly oxidized in a flameless thermal oxidizer to form a sulfur oxide-containing, gaseous products stream. The gaseous products stream is scrubbed with a scrubber solution stream to remove the sulfur components resulting in a scrubbed gas stream and spent scrubber solution stream having S.sub.2 O.sub.3 and SO.sub.4, and SO.sub.3 soluble salts. At least a portion of the spent scrubber solution from the scrubber is directed back into the Kraft process, thus recovering the sulfur. In a second general embodiment of the invention, the NGCs are flamelessly oxidized in a moving, packed bed calcinator. The calcinator receives a lime mud stream from the Kraft process, forms a packed bed therefrom, calcines the packed bed, and releases it as a quick lime stream. Concurrently, the NCGs are directed through the moving, packed bed and are flamelessly oxidized in a reaction wave in the packed bed to form a gaseous products stream with sulfur components. The sulfur components react with the packed bed to form sulfur/calcium components. The sulfur/calcium components exit the calcinator with the quick lime stream and are recovered by the Kraft process.