The fate of methane in a Claus plant reaction furnace

Experimental kinetic data are reported for key side reactions occurring in the front end [i.e. the reaction furnace (RF) and the waste heat boiler (WHB)] of modified Claus plants used for sulfur recovery from the sour gases evolved in the treatment of natural gas. An extensive experimental study was conducted in a high temperature tubular reactor system for two important homogenous gas-phase reactions. Firstly, experiments were carried out to study the oxidation of hydrogen sulfide and methane mixtures in the presence of oxygen. Secondly, the reaction between methane and sulfur dioxide was Investigated experimentally. These results showed that methane was much less competitive for oxygen than hydrogen sulfide. Hence, in a partially oxidizing environment of a RF, data showed that methane reacted significantly with other major sulfur containing species, as secondary reactions, to form COS and especially CS2. This Is highly problematic from an environmental point of view.