CATALYTIC PRODUCTION OF ELEMENTAL SULFUR FROM SULFUR DIOXIDE-CONTAINING GAS STREAMS

THE OBJECTIVE OF THIS PROJECT IS TO DEVELOP AND DEMONSTRATE A LOW-COST ALTERNATIVE TO A MODIFIED CLAUS PLANT FOR CONVERSION OF SULFUR DIOXIDE (SO2) TO ELEMENTAL SULFUR, BASED ON THE USE OF A NW CATALYST. RECENTLY, A NEW, INEXPENSIVE CATALYST WAS OBSERVED TO RESULT IN THE CONVERSION OF MORE THAN 50 PERCENT OF AN SO2-RICH GAS STREAM TO YELLOW, ELEMENTAL SULFUR DURINGA SINGLE PASS OF THE GAS THROUGH THE CATALYST BED AT ABOUT 700 DEGREES CENTIGRADE AND ATMOSPHRIC PRESSURE. THE PLANNED WORK WILL SEEK TO OPTIMIZE THE PROCESS TO ACHIEVE A SUBSTANTIALLY HIGHER CONVERSION EFFICIENCY. THE PHASE I RESEARCH WILL CONSIST OF THREE TASKS: A PARAMETRIC STUDY EXAMINING THE EFFECTS OF CHANGES IN TEMPERATURE, PRESSURE, AND INCOMING GAS COMPOSITION ON ELEMENTAL SULFUR YIELDS; AN EXAMINATION OF CYCLING OF THE GAS THROUGH TWO OR MORE BEDS TO ACHIEVE HIGHER CONVERSION YIELDS; AND AN EXAMINATION OF THE EXPECT4ED LIFE OF THE CATALYST AND THE POSSIBLE REGENERABILITY OF THE CATALYST.