A composite material is used for desulfurization. The composite material contains activated carbon, alkali metal oxides, silicon oxides, iron oxides, and rare earth element oxides. The weight ratio among the activated carbon, iron oxides and rare earth element oxides is 100:(0.5-5):(1-10). The composite material, used as a sulfur adsorbent, has a higher sulfur breakthrough capacity and desulfurization rate.

A process for producing synthesis gas (syngas) comprising the endothermic reaction between CO.sub.2 and H.sub.2S, wherein the energetic supply is provided by the exothermic oxidation of a small portion of H.sub.2S to SO.sub.2 according to the following reaction scheme: R2: H.sub.2S+1.5O.sub.2.fwdarw.SO.sub.2+H.sub.2O said process being carried out according to the following overall theoretical reaction scheme R1, not taking into account the aforementioned exothermic reaction R2, R1: CO.sub.2+2H.sub.2S.fwdarw.CO+H.sub.2+S.sub.2+H.sub.2O wherein the amount of fed oxygen is comprised between 5% and 25% by volume over the total volume of fed reactants gaseous mixture.

The present application pertains to processes producing oxides using a weak acid intermediate. In one embodiment a material comprising calcium carbonate is reacted with a solution comprising aqueous carboxylic acid to form a gas comprising carbon dioxide and a solution comprising aqueous calcium carboxylate. The solution comprising aqueous calcium carboxylate is reacted with sodium sulfate to form a solution comprising aqueous sodium carboxylate and a solid comprising calcium sulfate. The solution comprising aqueous sodium carboxylate is reacted with sulfur dioxide to form sodium sulfite and an aqueous carboxylic acid. The sodium sulfite is separated from said aqueous carboxylic acid and reacted to form a solid comprising calcium sulfite which is decomposed to form calcium oxide and sulfur dioxide.

A process to produce a sulfur-free hydrocarbon product stream from a liquid hydrocarbon disulfide product, e.g., of the Merox Process, includes subjecting the hydrocarbon disulfide to a catalytic oxidation step to produce SO.sub.2 which is separated from the remaining desulfurized hydrocarbons that form the clean sulfur-free hydrocarbon product stream; the SO.sub.2 is introduced into a Claus processing unit with the required stoichiometric amount of hydrogen sulfide (H.sub.2S) gas to produce elemental sulfur.

A chemical looping combustion (CLC) process for sour gas combustion includes a number of reaction zones and is configured to provide in-situ oxygen production and in-situ removal of SO.sub.2 from a product gas stream by reacting the SO.sub.2 with a calcium-based sorbent at a location within one reaction zone. The CLC process is also configured such that the in-situ oxygen production results from the use of a metal oxide oxygen carrier which is purposely located such that it does not directly contact the sour gas, thereby eliminating the generation of undesirable sulfur-based metal oxides.

The present disclosure relates to a process for purification of an aqueous solution comprising hydrogen sulfide comprising the steps of a. directing an amount of recycle gas to contact the aqueous solution comprising hydrogen sulfide, to separate a gas comprising hydrogen sulfide from the aqueous solution, b. heating said gas comprising hydrogen sulfide optionally after addition of a source of oxygen to provide a process feed gas, c. in a hydrogen sulfide oxidation step directing said process feed gas to oxidation of hydrogen sulfide to sulfur dioxide, d. in a sulfur dioxide oxidation step directing said sulfur dioxide rich gas to contact a material catalytically active in oxidation of sulfur dioxide to sulfur trioxide, to provide a sulfur trioxide rich gas e. in a condensation step cooling said sulfur trioxide rich gas, to enable hydration of sulfur trioxide and condensation of sulfuric acid to provide a stream of concentration sulfuric acid and a purified process gas, and in a recycling step, directing at least a part of the purified process gas as said recycle gas.

A process and apparatus for producing sulfuric acid are disclosed. The process comprises reacting a sulfur species and a strong oxygen gas to produce a process gas comprising sulfur dioxide; oxidizing the sulfur dioxide gas to produce a process gas comprising sulfur trioxide; and hydrating the sulfur trioxide to produce sulfuric acid, and a used process gas. The concentration of oxygen in the source of strong oxygen gas is greater than about 21 vol. %. The process may further comprise purging the used process gas, thereby producing a process purge gas and a process recycle gas, and recirculating at least part of the process recycle gas into one or more upstream processes. The process recycle gas and process purge gas each comprises an excess concentration of sulfur dioxide gas of greater than about 12 vol. %, or an excess concentration of oxygen gas of greater than about 21 vol. %.

A method for microwave-enhanced carbon reduction of waste sulfuric acid is provided, including the following steps: (1) immersing a carbon material with waste sulfuric acid to obtain a mixture; and (2) subjecting the mixture to microwave heating to allow a reaction to obtain a sulfur dioxide gas and sulfonated carbon.

A method for controlling a temperature of an incinerator may include determining a flow rate of a gas stream. The gas stream may be being passed from a sulfur recovery system to the incinerator. The method may include adjusting a target temperature of the incinerator. The target temperature of the incinerator is proportional to the flow rate of the gas stream. The method may include determining a temperature of the incinerator and adjusting the flow rate of a fuel gas being passed to the incinerator such that the temperature of the incinerator approaches the target temperature of the incinerator.

A method of separating oxygen from a body of water includes providing a colony of denitrifying bacteria submerged in the body of water. The colony of denitrifying bacteria can be used to convert at least a portion of nitrogen oxides present in the body of water to nitrogen gas. The method can also include collecting the nitrogen gas and bubbling the nitrogen gas through a portion of water from the body of water to remove dissolved oxygen from the portion of water. This can form a mixture of the nitrogen gas and oxygen gas.