Separately removing mercaptans and hydrogen sulfide from gas streams

摘要

The present invention provides a method for separately removing mercaptans and hydrogen sulfide from a hydrocarbon gas stream by passing the gas through a bed which includes iron oxide which catalyzes the formation of disulfides and trisulfides from mercaptans and also reacts with at least part of the hydrogen sulfide to form acid-stable solids; causing the di- and trisulfides to exit the bed in the gas phase; and removing and recovering the di- and trisulfides by adsorption or condensation. Any remaining hydrogen sulfide may be scavenged from the gas stream by passage through a bed containing iron oxide similar to that used first above. If the gas stream contains substantial amounts of hydrocarbon aerosols, they should be filtered out in advance of the bed.