DEVELOPMENT OF A CATALYST FOR LOW-TEMPERA TURE HYDROLYSIS OF CARBONYLSULFIDE IN COKE-OVEN GAS

In order to use coke oven gas (COG) as a chemical feedstock and/or cit y gas, it is necessary to reduce or eliminate various impurities, espe cially sulfur compounds, found in COG. Catalysts active at around room temperature were explored as a means of removing a sulfur compound, c arbonyl sulfide (COS), through catalytic hydrolysis at low temperature s. An alumina impregnated with potassium carbonate was found to show h igh catalytic activity. COS was hydrolyzed in the low temperature rang e of 10 and 80 degrees C. The reaction rate was first order with respe ct to COS and zero order with respect to water. However, the rate decr eased rapidly as the water vapor pressure increased in the region over approximately 1.5 kPa at 40 degrees C because the hydrolysis reaction was inhibited by a large amount of water adsorbed on the catalyst. In COG containing large amounts of hydrocarbons and carbon dioxide, the developed catalyst exhibited high long-term activity for COS hydrolysi s at between 40 and 50 degrees C under atmospheric pressure.