An Electrochemical Claus Process for Sulfur Recovery

• Published in: Journal of the Electrochemical Society Vol. 136; no. 12; pp. 3662 - 3678
• Main Authors: Pujare, Nirupama U., Tsai, Kan J., Sammells, Anthony F.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Pennington, NJ Electrochemical Society 01.12.1989
• Subjects: 30 DIRECT ENERGY CONVERSION; 300504 - Fuel Cells- Applications; 300505 - Fuel Cells- Electrochemistry, Mass Transfer & Thermodynamics; 320305 - Energy Conservation, Consumption, & Utilization- Industrial & Agricultural Processes- Industrial Waste Management; 400400 - Electrochemistry; ANODES; Applied sciences; CATALYSTS; CHALCOGENIDES; CHEMICAL REACTION KINETICS; CHEMICAL REACTIONS; CHEMISTRY; CLAUS PROCESS; CONFIGURATION; DATA; Direct energy conversion and energy accumulation; DIRECT ENERGY CONVERTERS; Electrical engineering. Electrical power engineering; Electrical power engineering; ELECTROCATALYSTS; ELECTROCHEMICAL CELLS; Electrochemical conversion: primary and secondary batteries, fuel cells; ELECTROCHEMISTRY; ELECTRODES; ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATION; Exact sciences and technology; EXPERIMENTAL DATA; FUEL CELLS; HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS; HYDROGEN SULFIDES; INFORMATION; INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL AND ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY; KINETICS; MANGANESE COMPOUNDS; MANGANESE OXIDES; NUMERICAL DATA; OXIDATION; OXIDES; OXYGEN COMPOUNDS; PLATINUM COMPOUNDS; PLATINUM OXIDES; REACTION KINETICS; REFRACTORY METAL COMPOUNDS; STABILIZATION; SULFIDES; SULFUR COMPOUNDS; TRANSITION ELEMENT COMPOUNDS; TUNGSTEN COMPOUNDS; TUNGSTEN SULFIDES; USES; ZIRCONIUM COMPOUNDS; ZIRCONIUM OXIDES; Secondary cell; Fuel cell
• DOI: 10.1149/1.2096528
• ISSN: 0013-4651

Electrochemical oxidation of H{sub 2}S to give sulfur and water was achieved at 900{degrees}C using fuel cells possessing the general configuration where anode electrocatalysts experimentally investigated for promoting the subject oxidation reaction included WS{sub 2} and the thiospinels CuNi{sub 2}S{sub 4}, CuCo{sub 2}S{sub 4}, CuFe{sub 2}S{sub 4}, and NiFe{sub 2}S{sub 4}. The predominant oxidizable electroactive species present in the fuel cell anode compartment was suggested to be hydrogen originating from the initial thermal dissociation of H{sub 2}S (H{sub 2}S {r reversible} H{sub 2} + 1/2 S{sub 2}) at fuel cell operating temperatures. Rapid anode kinetics were found for the anodic reaction with the empirical trend for exchange currents (i{sub o}) per geometric area being found to be NiFe{sub 2}S{sub 4}{gt}WS{sub 2}{gt}CuCo{sub 2}S{sub 4}{gt}CuFe{sub 2}S{sub 4}{approx equal}NiCo{sub 2}S{sub 4}{gt}CuNi{sub 2}S{sub 4}.