Process for treating H.sub.2 S-lean streams, with recycle of SOx from burner

A process for treating a hydrogen sulfide lean feed gas stream to convert the hydrogen sulfide to elemental sulfur, said process comprising the steps of:

• (a) introducing a recycle stream of sulfur oxides, and said hydrogen sulfide lean feed gas stream into a first reactor comprising a sulfated solid oxide sorbent, wherein said feed gas stream is contacted with said sulfated sorbent under conditions sufficient to convert said hydrogen sulfide and said sulfated sorbent into a first vapor phase product stream and a desulfated sorbent, said first vapor phase product stream comprising elemental sulfur vapor, water vapor and sulfur dioxide, said first vapor phase product stream being passed from said first reactor along with unreacted hydrogen sulfide as an effluent stream;
• (b) passing the effluent stream from step (a) into a condenser operated under conditions sufficient to condense at least a portion of the elemental sulfur vapor to liquid sulfur, wherein a liquid sulfur product is obtained and a second vapor phase product stream is formed, said second vapor phase product stream comprising sulfur and hydrogen sulfide, said second vapor phase product stream being passed from the condenser;
• (c) passing said second vapor phase product stream from step (b) along with a source of oxygen into a burner operated under conditions sufficient to convert substantially all of the sulfur and hydrogen sulfide in the second vapor phase product stream from step (b) to a combustion product stream comprising sulfur oxides, said conditions comprising a greater than stoichiometric amount of oxygen;
• (d) recycling to step (a) a first portion of the combustion product stream from step (c) as said recycle stream of sulfur oxides;
• (e) passing a remainder portion of the combustion product stream from step (c) into a second reactor comprising a desulfated sorbent under operating conditions sufficient to combine the sulfur oxides in said remainder portion of the combustion product stream from step (c) with said desulfated sorbent in the second reactor, thereby producing a second sulfated sorbent and a treated vapor phase product stream, said treated vapor phase product stream comprising less than about 50 ppm of sulfur oxides, said treated vapor phase product stream being passed from said second reactor;
• and
• (f) then switching feeds to said first reactor and said second reactor so that said recycle stream and said feed gas stream are introduced into said second reactor, and said remainder portion of the combustion product stream is passed into said first reactor;
• wherein hydrogen sulfide in said feed gas stream is converted to elemental sulfur without the use of a Claus plant.