Apparatus for the purification of engine exhaust gases without oxidation of entrained SO.sub.2

A catalytic converter for purifying engine exhaust gases while preventing sulfur dioxide from contacting a catalyst to preclude the formation of sulfuric acid and which comprises in combination,

• a. a confined housing with exhaust gas inlet means thereto and a purified gas outlet therefrom;
• b. a gas permeable catalyst retaining section fixedly positioned within said housing;
• c. a shaft supported by said housing an additional gas permeable section for retaining a SO.sub.2 adsorbent material therein that is rotatably supported upon said shaft within said housing to be maintained adjacent said catalyst section in a manner to permit gas flow between said sections and to provide movement of said adsorbent material between an upstream adsorption zone and downsrteam desorption zone;
• d. gas flow diverter means positioned in said converter to direct the incoming stream through the SO.sub.2 adsorption zone and through a portion of said SO.sub.2 adsorbent material so as to pass a substantially SO.sub.2 -free stream to said catalyst section and, in addition, to direct a treated stream from said catalyst section through said downstream description zone to remove SO.sub.2 from another portion of the adsorbent material and from the converter, and
• e. rotatable vane means in interconnection with said rotatable section for rotating said rotatable section, said vane means being positioned within the exhuast gas stream flow path through the housing whereby the adsorbent material in said rotatable section will continuously move therewith between the SO.sub.2 adsorption and desporption zones in the housing.