Sulphur

Properties
• Formula: S
• Atomic Weight: 32
• Melting point: 112.80C (rhombic)
1190C(monoclinic)
• Boiling point: 444.60C
 Uses of sulphur
• Sulphuric acid
• Fertilizers
• Chemicals
• Titanium and other pigments
• Iron and steel
• Rayon and film
• Pulp
• CS2
 Classification of processes
• Elemental sulphur mining
• H2S conversion from natural gas and industrial
gases
• Iron pyrites
 Mining (Frasch Process)
• Requirements:
– Basis: 1 ton of sulphur
– Water : 6 tons
– Temp.: 1600 C-1800C
– Pressure: 25 atm
 Frasch Process

Compressed air

25 atm

500 m
PFD
 Process
3 concentric pipes drilled into sulphur bearing salt domes

Super heated water at 1600C pumped in the outer pipe and air
at 25 atm into inner pipe

Sulphur is melted by hot water

Compressed air moves the sulphur through the middle pipe to

sump separation units
 Major Engineering Problems
• Heat transfer in melting and shipping
operations
• Finding suitable sources of treated water
• Corrosion
 Oxidation-Reduction of H2S
(Claus Process)

• Requirements
– Basis: 1 ton of sulphur
– H2S: 1.2 ton
– Air: 1700 m3
– Plant capacity: 20-600 tons/day

H2S is obtained from natural gas or refinery streams

 Raw materials
• H2S form natural gas (sour gas)
• Petroleum refinery streams
 Reactions
• 2H2S + 3O2  2SO2 + 2H2O
• 4H2S + 2SO2 S + 4H2O
PFD
Simplified PFD
 Process

H2S and air burnt in reaction chamber

SO2 oxidizes H2S to sulphur in two stage

converter-condenser arrangement

Final waste gas is scrubbed with molten sulphur

 Major Engineering Problems
• Design of convertor-condenser
• Heat exchange for molten sulphur handling
• Final clean up of stack gases
• Corrosion
 Sulphur from Pyrites (Finnish Process)
a) Thermal dissociation

FeS2  0.5 S + FeS

b) General combustion

C,H,S + O2  SO2, H2S, CO, H2CO2, H2O

c) Sulphur recovery-hot stage

2COS+CS2 +2SO2  S6+3CO2

d) Sulphur recovery-cold stage

H2S+2SO2  4H2O + S6

e) Roasting of FeS (Pyrrhotite) for SO2 recovery

4FeS+ 1.5O2  Fe2O3 + 2SO2

 Quantitative requirements
• Pyrites ore
• Limestone
• Fuel oil
• Water
PFD
 Process description
Dispersed with
Liquid FeS caught in
Pyrites ore dried combustion gases
horizontal batch
in a vertical furnace

High pressure (70 Hot catalytic Low pressure (4.5

atm) heat recovery reactor: Carbon atm) heat recovery
boiler 1300 to compounds with boiler: SO2 and H2S
3000C sulphur eliminated cooled

Cold stage catalytic Wash tower:

Spray condenser:
reactor: conversion recover
Sulphur is
uncondensed
to S6 condensed
sulphur
 Co-Products

FeS washed and Fluidized roaster:

Granulated FeS to Cooled in waste
granuated to 4 mm
heat boiler
grains SO2 at 10000C

Cleaned by cyclones SO2 sent to H2SO4

Iron oxide formed is
and electrostatic plant and Iron oxide
cooled
precipitators to steel plant
 Major Engineering Problems
• Pyrites ore beneficiation
• Depends on amount of SiO2
• Grinding
• Dictates the rate of HT and residence time
• Substitution of coal with other fuels
• To save energy
• Gaseous reactions in smelting furnace
• H2S –SO2 ratio is maintained
• Two stage catalytic reactor design
• Increasing the yield of Sulphur by using hot followed by cold stage
• Heat recovery and generation of electric energy
• Overall process has high heat energy which is converted to electric energy