Abstract: To improve the handling characteristics and dispersibility of a sulfur containing froth, especially a froth obtained from the regeneration step in a process for scrubbing out and oxidizing H.sub.2 S, there is added to the scrubbing liquor an ionic or non-ionic surfactant, e.g., dioctyl or dodecyl sulfosucciniate in sufficient concentrations, e.g., 3-16 ppm, to substantially prevent the sulfur particles from becoming crusty and stiff, this technique being particularly applicable to the replacement of diethanolamine.

Abstract: Processes for the removal of hydrogen sulphide from gas streams and for the regeneration of spent scrubbing liquor used in an absorber to remove hydrogen sulphide from a gas stream, are disclosed. In the former process, hydrogen sulphide is removed by five-valent oxovanadium which is simultaneously reduced to its four-valent state, the precipitation of which is prevented by having a sufficiently high concentration of total alkalinity present in the scrubbing solution. In the latter process the four-valent oxovanadium is oxidized to its five-valent state, preferably by an oxygen-containing gas, and a suffficently high concentration of total alkalinity is provided in the scrubbing liquor to yield a desired re-oxidation rate of the four-valent oxovanadium.