Process for oxidizing the h2s contained at low concentration in a gas directly to sulphur by catalytic means and in the vapour pause

Abstract

A process for catalytically oxidizing H S contained in a gas directly to sulphur containing the following steps: combining the H S-containing gas with a gas containing free oxygen in an amount to produce an oxygen-enriched H S-containing gas having O /H S molar ratio ranging from about 0.05 to about 15; and contacting the oxygen-enriched H S-containing gas with a catalyst for selective oxidation of H S to sulphur, wherein the catalyst includes a catalytically active phase combined with a silicon carbide-based support and wherein the active phase of the catalyst consists of at least one oxysulphide of at least one metal selected from the group consisting of iron, copper, nickel, cobalt, chromium, molybdenum and tungsten, at a temperature above the dew point of sulphur formed during H S oxidation.