Process for the removal of sulfur dioxide from gases

A process for the removal of sulfur dioxide from a combustion gas product of a fossil fuel which gas contains sulfur dioxide and oxygen, consisting essentially of:

• (a) contacting said combustion gas with an acceptor consisting essentially of copper or copper oxide on a thermostable, inert silica support, the copper content, calculated as metallic copper, being over 16% by weight based on the total weight of the acceptor, the specific surface area of the copper in reduced form being at least 50 m.sup.2 per gram as metallic copper;
• said acceptor being obtained by adding a compound capable of generating hydroxyl ions after heating in the presence of water, to a dilute water-containing solution containing copper ions and silica support suspended in a finely divided form;
• and precipitating copper compounds by reacting the solution with hydroxyl ions, said hydroxyl ions being provided by heating with stirring of said compound for a time sufficient to decompose said compound to give rise to hydroxyl ions, the copper charged support being then separated from the solution, dried, calcined and reduced;
• the resulting acceptor providing improved absorption of the sulfur dioxide from the gas without the substantial formation of SO.sub.3, wherein substantially all of the sulfur removed from said gas is bound on said acceptor essentially as copper sulfate;
• (b) continuing acceptor contact with the combustion gas product until the sulfur removing capacity of said copper is substantially exhausted, and then
• (c) regenerating the acceptor for reuse.