High-Capacity Regenerable H₂S Sorbent for Reducing Sulfur Emissions

The separation of H2S from natural gas, biogas, and coal gas is an essential process that requires large energy input and high capital costs. We propose a new sorption-based process, which can be coupled with the Claus desulfurization process to reduce sulfur emissions. This new process is based on a new sorbent material consisting of a specific composition of Cu, Mg, and Al oxides and exhibiting superior sulfur capacity (μ7.5 mmol/g) at process conditions compatible for integration with the Claus process. CuO is the active sorbent component, which during H2S uptake is converted to CuS and can be fully regenerated during cyclic operation. Al2O3 and small amounts of MgO are shown to be essential components that contribute to sorbent activity and stability.