PROCESS FOR PRESSURE STRIPPING OF SULFUR DIOXIDE FROM BUFFERED SOLUTIONS

摘要

It is known to strip sulphur from aqueous citrate solutions using low pressure steam. This process is disadvantageous in that is requires large volumes of steam. The present invention seeks to overcome this drawback by providing in a process for the desulfurization of gases wherein sulfur dioxide is removed from the gases by absorption in citrate buffered aqueous solution which undergoes a regenerative process to yield sulfur-based byproducts, the improvement resulting in the recovery of sulfur dioxide from the citrate buffered aqueous solution comprising heating the aqueous solution containing absorbed sulfur dioxide to a temperature above 212.degree.F. and to strip the sulfur dioxide therefrom, maintaining the pressure substantially greater than atmospheric pressure, and recovering sulfur dioxide vapor.