The effects of pressure and temperature on the catalytic oxidation of hydrogen sulfide in natural gas and regeneration of the catalyst to recover the sulfur produced

The influence of pressure up to 5600 kPa and temperature up to 175 °C on the oxidation of low concentrations of H 2 S in natural gas was studied in a fixed bed reactor over an activated carbon catalyst. Operation of this system at 5600 kPa provides higher catalyst activity (virtually 100% H 2 S conversion) over a longer period of time and with lower selectivity to SO 2 than when operated at atmospheric pressure. The desorption of sulfur from a loaded catalyst occurs first from the macropores (> 100 nm) of the catalyst which contain a substantial portion of the sulfur load and then from the micropores (< 100 nm). This study also indicated that the sulfur recovery process is both rapid and effective at 327°C.