Process for the manufacture of hydrogen sulfide

A process for the manufacture of hydrogen sulfide by reacting sulfur and hydrogen comprising the steps of:

• (a) supplying a first stream of hydrogen gas in a first hydrogenation reactor containing sulfur, said sulfur being at least in part as molten sulfur at a first temperature ranging between about 300.degree. C. and about 450.degree. C.;
• (b) reacting said molten sulfur and said first hydrogen gas at a pressure of 0.3 to 30 kg/cm.sup.2 G in said first hydrogenation reactor to produce a first effluent gas comprising hydrogen sulfide and unreacted sulfur vapor from said first hydrogenation reactor, said unreacted sulfur vapor having been formed by gasification of molten sulfur using heat generated by said first hydrogenation reaction;
• (c) supplying a second stream of hydrogen gas into said first effluent gas in a second hydrogenation reactor;
• (d) reacting said second hydrogen gas with said unreacted sulfur vapor in said first effluent gas at a second temperature within the range of 200.degree. to 250.degree. C. in the presence of a catalyst to form a second effluent gas containing additional hydrogen sulfide, said catalyst selected from the group consisting of oxides and sulfides of cobalt-molybdenum, nickel-molybdenum and nickel-sulfide and combinations of the foregoing;
• and
• (e) recovering hydrogen sulfide from said second effluent gas by passing said second effluent gas through a condenser to condense residual unreacted sulfur vapor contained in said second effluent gas.