The invention relates to shaped catalyst bodies for the oxidation of SO.sub.2 to SO.sub.3, which comprise vanadium, at least one alkali metal and sulfate on a silicon dioxide support material, wherein the shaped body has the shape of a cylinder having 3 or 4 hollow-cylindrical convexities, obtainable by extrusion of a catalyst precursor composition comprising vanadium, at least one alkali metal and sulfate on a silicon dioxide support material through the opening of an extrusion tool, wherein the opening of the extrusion tool has a cross section formed by 3 or 4 partly overlapping rings whose midpoints lie essentially on a circular line having a diameter of y, wherein the rings are bounded by an outer line lying on a circle having an external diameter x1 and an inner line lying on a circle having an internal diameter x2.

The invention relates to shaped catalyst bodies for the oxidation of SO.sub.2 to SO.sub.3, which comprise vanadium, at least one alkali metal and sulfate on a silicon dioxide support material, wherein the shaped body has the shape of a cylinder having 3 or 4 hollow-cylindrical convexities, obtainable by extrusion of a catalyst precursor composition comprising vanadium, at least one alkali metal and sulfate on a silicon dioxide support material through the opening of an extrusion tool, wherein the opening of the extrusion tool has a cross section formed by 3 or 4 partly overlapping rings whose midpoints lie essentially on a circular line having a diameter of y, wherein the rings are bounded by an outer line lying on a circle having an external diameter x1 and an inner line lying on a circle having an internal diameter x2.

A two or particularly three-phase process, and corresponding apparatus, desulfurizes sour hydrocarbon gas, e.g., natural gas, generally better than known, using a fixed-bed, two-phase processes in terms of the amount of H.sub.2S scavenged and the breakthrough time of H.sub.2S. The three-phase process is effective in scavenging H.sub.2S at ambient temperature and pressure, using a copper salt catalyst impregnated on alumina or other generally inert support, which is regenerable.

A two or particularly three-phase process, and corresponding apparatus, desulfurizes sour hydrocarbon gas, e.g., natural gas, generally better than known, using a fixed-bed, two-phase processes in terms of the amount of H.sub.2S scavenged and the breakthrough time of H.sub.2S. The three-phase process is effective in scavenging H.sub.2S at ambient temperature and pressure, using a copper salt catalyst impregnated on alumina or other generally inert support, which is regenerable.

A two or particularly three-phase process, and corresponding apparatus, desulfurizes sour hydrocarbon gas, e.g., natural gas, generally better than known, using a fixed-bed, two-phase processes in terms of the amount of H.sub.2S scavenged and the breakthrough time of H.sub.2S. The three-phase process is effective in scavenging H.sub.2S at ambient temperature and pressure, using a copper salt catalyst impregnated on alumina or other generally inert support, which is regenerable.

A two or particularly three-phase process, and corresponding apparatus, desulfurizes sour hydrocarbon gas, e.g., natural gas, generally better than known, using a fixed-bed, two-phase processes in terms of the amount of H.sub.2S scavenged and the breakthrough time of H.sub.2S. The three-phase process is effective in scavenging H.sub.2S at ambient temperature and pressure, using a copper salt catalyst impregnated on alumina or other generally inert support, which is regenerable.

A two or particularly three-phase process, and corresponding apparatus, desulfurizes sour hydrocarbon gas, e.g., natural gas, generally better than known, using a fixed-bed, two-phase processes in terms of the amount of H.sub.2S scavenged and the breakthrough time of H.sub.2S. The three-phase process is effective in scavenging H.sub.2S at ambient temperature and pressure, using a copper salt catalyst impregnated on alumina or other generally inert support, which is regenerable.

A two or particularly three-phase process, and corresponding apparatus, desulfurizes sour hydrocarbon gas, e.g., natural gas, generally better than known, using a fixed-bed, two-phase processes in terms of the amount of H.sub.2S scavenged and the breakthrough time of H.sub.2S. The three-phase process is effective in scavenging H.sub.2S at ambient temperature and pressure, using a copper salt catalyst impregnated on alumina or other generally inert support, which is regenerable.

A two or particularly three-phase process, and corresponding apparatus, desulfurizes sour hydrocarbon gas, e.g., natural gas, generally better than known, using a fixed-bed, two-phase processes in terms of the amount of H.sub.2S scavenged and the breakthrough time of H.sub.2S. The three-phase process is effective in scavenging H.sub.2S at ambient temperature and pressure, using a copper salt catalyst impregnated on alumina or other generally inert support, which is regenerable.

A two or particularly three-phase process, and corresponding apparatus, desulfurizes sour hydrocarbon gas, e.g., natural gas, generally better than known, using a fixed-bed, two-phase processes in terms of the amount of H.sub.2S scavenged and the breakthrough time of H.sub.2S. The three-phase process is effective in scavenging H.sub.2S at ambient temperature and pressure, using a copper salt catalyst impregnated on alumina or other generally inert support, which is regenerable.