A reactor having a shell comprising: one or more reactor tubes located within the shell, said reactor tube or tubes comprising a plurality of catalyst receptacles containing catalyst; means for providing a heat transfer fluid to the reactor shell such that the heat transfer fluid contacts the tube or tubes; an inlet for providing reactants to the reactor tubes; and an outlet for recovering products from the reactor tubes; wherein the plurality of catalyst receptacles containing catalyst within a tube comprises catalyst receptacles containing catalyst of at least two configurations.

The present invention concerns a method for oxidizing reactant sulfur(S) and/or reactant sulfur dioxide (SO2) by means of carbon dioxide (CO2), comprising the steps of: a) decomposing CO2 to form carbonyl (CO) radicals and oxygen (O) radicals by igniting a plasma in a plasma process fluid stream comprising said CO2: b) contacting reactant sulfur and/or reactant sulfur dioxide with said oxygen radicals, thereby: oxidizing said reactant sulfur to product sulfur dioxide and/or product sulfur trioxide (SO3), and/or oxidizing said reactant sulfur dioxide to product sulfur trioxide, thereby obtaining an outlet fluid stream comprising said product sulfur dioxide and/or said product sulfur trioxide.

The present invention concerns a method for oxidizing reactant sulfur(S) and/or reactant sulfur dioxide (SO2) by means of carbon dioxide (CO2), comprising the steps of: a) decomposing CO2 to form carbonyl (CO) radicals and oxygen (O) radicals by igniting a plasma in a plasma process fluid stream comprising said CO2: b) contacting reactant sulfur and/or reactant sulfur dioxide with said oxygen radicals, thereby: oxidizing said reactant sulfur to product sulfur dioxide and/or product sulfur trioxide (SO3), and/or oxidizing said reactant sulfur dioxide to product sulfur trioxide, thereby obtaining an outlet fluid stream comprising said product sulfur dioxide and/or said product sulfur trioxide.

Methods and systems for producing sulfuric acid and/or sulfur trioxide, which may include contacting a first stream that includes oxygen and a second stream that includes sulfur to produce a third stream that includes sulfur dioxide, and subjecting the third stream to an oxidation reaction to produce a fourth stream that includes sulfur trioxide. The contacting of the first and second streams may include contacting a molar amount of oxygen that exceeds a molar amount of sulfur.

The present application pertains to processes for making calcium oxide and/or sulfuric acid from calcium sulfate. In some embodiments the processes comprise reacting a component comprising calcium sulfate with a second component comprising magnesium sulfite under conditions to form a solid comprising calcium sulfite and a solution comprising magnesium sulfate. Next, at least a portion of the solid comprising calcium sulfite is decomposed to form a second solid comprising calcium oxide, or calcium hydroxide, or cement, or clinker, or any combination thereof.

This desulfurization device is for desulfurizing a discharge gas which contains sulfur oxides and which was discharged from a device for sulfuric acid production that includes a concentrated-sulfuric-acid production step in which sulfur trioxide gas obtained by oxidizing sulfur dioxide gas is absorbed in an aqueous sulfuric acid solution while supplying water thereto to thereby produce sulfuric acid having a concentration as high as 90 wt % or more but less than 99 wt %, the desulfurization device comprising: a desulfurization tower in which the sulfur oxides are removed from the discharge gas and, simultaneously therewith, dilute sulfuric acid is formed from the sulfur oxides; and a dilute sulfuric acid mixer which, in the concentrated-sulfuric-acid production step, mixes the dilute sulfuric acid with the aqueous sulfuric acid solution.

This desulfurization device is for desulfurizing a discharge gas which contains sulfur oxides and which was discharged from a device for sulfuric acid production that includes a concentrated-sulfuric-acid production step in which sulfur trioxide gas obtained by oxidizing sulfur dioxide gas is absorbed in an aqueous sulfuric acid solution while supplying water thereto to thereby produce sulfuric acid having a concentration as high as 90 wt % or more but less than 99 wt %, the desulfurization device comprising: a desulfurization tower in which the sulfur oxides are removed from the discharge gas and, simultaneously therewith, dilute sulfuric acid is formed from the sulfur oxides; and a dilute sulfuric acid mixer which, in the concentrated-sulfuric-acid production step, mixes the dilute sulfuric acid with the aqueous sulfuric acid solution.

The electrochemical reactors disclosed herein provide novel oxidation and reduction chemistries and employ increased mass transport rates of materials to and from the surfaces of electrodes therein.

A method can include reducing calcium sulfate to calcium sulfide, converting calcium sulfide to calcium oxide, optionally using the calcium oxide to form a product, optionally oxidizing sulfur dioxide to sulfuric acid, and optionally using the sulfuric acid in fertilizer production.

The present application pertains to processes for making calcium oxide and/or sulfuric acid from calcium sulfate. In some embodiments the processes comprise reacting a component comprising calcium sulfate with a second component comprising magnesium sulfite under conditions to form a solid comprising calcium sulfite and a solution comprising magnesium sulfate. Next, at least a portion of the solid comprising calcium sulfite is decomposed to form a second solid comprising calcium oxide, or calcium hydroxide, or cement, or clinker, or any combination thereof.