Continuous process for selective oxidation of H2S over SiC-supported iron catalysts into elemental sulfur above its dewpoint Original Research Article

Iron supported on silicon carbide (SiC) is shown to be a high conversion catalyst for the oxidation of H2S with a high selectivity into elemental sulfur above sulfur dewpoint in the presence of large amounts of oxygen and steam in the feed. The active phase is probably an iron oxysulfide or a non-stoichiometric sulfate phase. It is stable for several weeks in an industrial micropilot plant, and no deactivation is observed even in the presence of a large amount of steam. These performances are due to the intrinsic physical properties of the SiC carrier but also because of the optimal dispersion of the active phase.