Hydrogen production from in situ partial burning of H.sub.2 S

A process for producing hydrogen from hydrogen sulfide consisting essentially of

• heating an incoming stream consisting essentially of hydrogen sulfide to at least about 1100.degree. K.,
• introducing said heated hydrogen sulfide stream and oxygen into a reaction zone in a volume ratio of between about 10:1 and about 25:1 and controlling said introduction to maintain the temperature in said reaction zone between about 1300.degree. K. and 1600.degree. K. under conditions which effect thermal dissociation of hydrogen sulfide and partial combustion of hydrogen sulfide to water and sulfur without the addition of heat from other sources and with the amount of hydrogen sulfide that undergoes partial combustion being not greater than the amount which undergoes thermal dissociation into hydrogen and sulfur within said reaction zone,
• withdrawing gas containing said dissociated hydrogen and sulfur from said reaction zone and promptly mixing said withdrawn gas with a cooler gas stream to quench the high temperature thereof to about 1200.degree. K. or below and prevent substantial recombination of hydrogen and sulfur within said withdrawn gas,
• employing heat from said total quenched gas stream to heat said incoming stream of hydrogen sulfide to a temperature of at least about 1100.degree. K. prior to its introduction into said reaction zone and separating a side stream therefrom which is used as said cooler gas stream, and
• recovering hydrogen from said withdrawn gas subsequent to said quenching step.