Hydrogen sulfide (H2S) is becoming a critical
issue
to manage, due to the increasing sulfur content in the processed gas
together with the stricter environmental regulations. Novel alternatives
are being developed for the H2S abatement and conversion
to valuable chemicals. Among them, the HydroClaus process, patented
by Eni S.p.A., deserves attention. This technology aims at converting
H2S and SO2 into a hydrophilic mixture of sulfur
and sulfur-rich compounds, polythionates, to be used as a fertilizer.
An improved configuration for an efficient water management is proposed
in this work. The process operability has been demonstrated at the
bench scale, through an ad hoc experimental campaign. For the technology
scale-up, a flowsheet has been set up and its performances have been
assessed in terms of heat and material balances and CO2 emissions. Results reveal that the modified HydroClaus process can
be a valid solution for an effective H2S valorization,
also considering that no direct CO2 emissions are released.
Moreover, since only electric power is required, a further reduction
of the indirect CO2 emissions is expected, if renewable
sources can be exploited for this purpose.