Abstract: A desulfurization process for hydrogen sulfide-containing gases, which comprises contacting an alkaline aqueous medium containing a naphthoquinone sulfonate, a water-soluble compound of at least one polyvalent metal selected from the group consisting of iron, manganese, vanadium and copper, and a water-soluble high molecular compound having weight-average molecular weight of from 300 to 50,000 with a hydrogen sulfide-containing gas thereby causing the hydrogen sulfide in said gas to be absorbed by said aqueous medium and subsequently contacting said aqueous medium now containing the absorbed hydrogen sulfide with a molecular oxygen-containing gas thereby separating elementary sulfur from said hydrogen sulfide.

Abstract: In a process for desulfurizing hydrogen sulfide-containing gases by contacting a hydrogen sulfide-containing gas with an alkaline aqueous solution containing a naphthoquinonesulfonate to effect absorption of hydrogen sulfide by said aqueous solution and subjecting the effluent to catalytic oxidation by a molecular oxygen-containing gas to separate out sulfur, an improvement which comprises (a) carrying out the absorption of hydrogen sulfide by using a liquid absorbent having a pH value adjusted by means of ammonia to 8 to 10 and containing as catalyst components a naphthoquinonesulfonate and a variable valent metal compound, (b) carrying out the catalytic oxidation of the effluent containing absorbed therein hydrogen sulfide by means of a molecular oxygen-containing gas as to lower the concentration of hydrosulfide ion in the effluent to 70 ppm or less and (c) recirculating the said liquid absorbent or effluent to the contact with the said hydrogen sulfide-containing gas.