CLAUS CATALYSIS AND H2S SELECTIVE OXIDATION

This review article deals with the development of sulfur recovery from the Claus process to H2S selective oxidation. Governments are constan tly tightening regulations to limit the emission of sulfur compounds i nto the air. This makes it necessary to constantly enhance the level o f sulfur recovery from natural, refinery, or coal gasification gases, and many improvements in the Claus process have been introduced to thi s end. In this review, emphasis has been put on the mechanism of react ions occurring in most of the sulfur recovery units, reactions between H2S and SO2 or O-2 and side reactions such as hydrolysis of COS and C S2 or sulfation of the catalyst.