Scrubbing hydrogen sulfide from a fuel gas

• US 4,446,118 A
• Filed: 05/27/1982
• Issued: 05/01/1984
• Est. Priority Date: 05/27/1982
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Chevron Research Company (Chevron Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Chevron Research Company (Chevron Corp.)
• Inventors: Nicksic, Stephen W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Thomas, Earl C.
• Application Number:
  US06/382,460
• Time in Patent Office: 705 Days
• Field of Search: 423/224, 423/226, 423/278, 423/229, 423/232, 423/573 R, 423/573 G, 568/27, 568/38
• US Class Current: 423/226
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 53/1418 Recovery of products
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 53/1468 Removing hydrogen sulfide
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 53/1493 Selection of liquid materials for use as absorbents

Abstract

A method of removing hydrogen sulfide contaminants from a gas stream. The gas stream is contacted with dimethyl sulfoxide promoted with the salt of an organic acid, reducing H₂ S to sulfur.

Claims

1. A method of removing hydrogen sulfide from fuel gas comprising:

contacting said fuel gas with an aqueous scrubber solution having at least 10 volume percent of a hydrogen sulfide scrubbing agent of the formula;

##STR5## wherein R¹ and R² are substituents having between 1 and 12 carbon atoms; and

wherein said aqueous scrubber solution contains less than about 1 weight percent of a promoter comprising added organic acids having between 1 and 12 carbon atoms.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said promoter is a salt selected from the group consisting of salts of the form MX where M is the cation of a primary, secondary or tertiary amine, alkali metal, or alkaline earth metal and X is the anion of said organic acid having between 1 and 12 carbon atoms.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein X is the anion of formic acid, acetic acid, oxalic acid, propionic acid or butyric acid.