Conversion of water-soluble inorganic sulfide compounds in an aqueous stream
AssigneeUop LLC
InventorRalph D. Gillespie
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Abstract
A method for treating an aqueous stream containing a water-soluble, inorganic sulfide compound wherein the stream is contacted with oxygen in a thermal, non-catalytic conversion zone to convert the inorganic sulfide compound to sulfate and thiosulfate. The aqueous effluent from the thermal, non-catalytic conversion zone is then contacted with oxygen and an oxidizing catalyst on a carbon support at catalytic oxidation conditions selected to provide a high conversion of the thiosulfate to sulfate which produces a substantially sulfide-free aqueous stream.
Claims7
A method for treating an aqueous stream having a pH greater than about 12 and comprising a water-soluble, inorganic sulfide compound which method comprises the steps of:
- (a) contacting said aqueous stream and oxygen in a thermal, non-catalytic conversion zone to convert said inorganic sulfide compound to sulfate and thiosulfate;
- (b) contacting the aqueous effluent from said thermal conversion zone and oxygen at a pH greater than about 12 and an oxygen to sulfur molar ratio greater than about 4 with a metallic phthalocyanine oxidizing catalyst supported on activated carbon to provide a high conversion of said thiosulfate in an amount greater than about 90 weight percent to sulfate;
- and
- (c) recovering a substantially sulfide-free aqueous stream.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.