Reduction of Sulfur Dioxide by Methane to Elemental Sulfur over Supported Cobalt Catalysts

• Published in: Industrial & engineering chemistry research Vol. 36; no. 6; pp. 2128 - 2133
• Main Authors: Yu, Jing-Jiang, Yu, Qiquan, Jin, Yun, Chang, Shih-Ger
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Washington, DC American Chemical Society 01.06.1997
• Subjects: Applied sciences; Atmospheric pollution; Exact sciences and technology; General processes of purification and dust removal; Pollution; Prevention and purification methods; Methane; Desulfurization; Catalytic reaction; Cobalt Oxides; Conversion rate; Transition metal Compounds; Experimental study; X ray diffraction; Silica; Supported catalyst; Sulfur dioxide; Characterization; Chemical reduction; Heterogeneous catalysis; Medium effect; Molecular sieve 13X; Kinetics; Surface area; Sulfur; Catalyst activity; Alumina; Flue gas purification; Molecular sieve 5A
• ISSN: 0888-5885; 1520-5045
• DOI: 10.1021/ie950575i

Cobalt oxides supported on several types of carriers (silica, molecular sieves 5A and 13X, and γ-Al2O3) were evaluated for the reduction of sulfur dioxide by methane to elemental sulfur. Results showed that γ-Al2O3 is the most effective carrier and that, with a molar ratio of 2 to 1 of sulfur dioxide to methane in a feed gas, the sulfur yield reached a maximum value of 87.5% at a space velocity of 5000 h-1 and a temperature of 840 °C. X-ray diffraction results revealed that mixtures of cobalt oxide and cobalt sulfide components were observed. The effects of temperature, space velocity, and molar ratio of sulfur dioxide to methane in the feed on the activity of the cobalt catalyst supported on γ-Al2O3 were investigated. The effect of feed gas containing a hydrogen sulfide contaminant was also studied. A catalyst size-dependence study was performed to determine the influence of the internal diffusion.