Effect of Ferric Oxide on the High-Temperature Removal of Hydrogen Sulfide over ZnO-Fe2O3 Mixed Metal Oxide Sorbent

Abstract

The effect of ferric oxide on the removal of hydrogen sulfide over ZnO-Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3} mixed metal oxide sorbents and on the oxidative regeneration of sulfided sorbents was investigated. When ferric oxide was added to the zinc oxide, the reduction of ZnO was retarded by interaction of ZnO with ZnFe{sub 2}O{sub 4}. This interaction was confirmed by larger binding energies of Zn 2P{sub 3/2} and Zn 2P{sub 1/2}, identified by ESCA, of the ZnO-ZnFe{sub 2}O{sub 4} sorbent than those of ZnO. Zinc ferrite with a spinel structure yielded not only high H{sub 2}S removal capacity but also much SO{sub 2} generation. A linear increase of SO{sub 2} generation was confirmed up to 50 wt % Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3}. Resulting from the thermal decomposition of H{sub 2}S over metal sulfides, H{sub 2} generation increased with respect to Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3} according to a quadratic equation. Channeling, caused by sintering during sulfidation, made the flow path of the reactant change and thus pure ZnO sorbent and the sorbent containing 3 wt % Fe{sub 2}O did not sulfurate completely. Addition of Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3} prevented surface structural change like sintering of ZnO during sulfidation.