Abstract: A process for producing ammonium thiosulfate by contacting a feed gas containing hydrogen sulfide and ammonia with an aqueous absorbing stream containing ammonium sulfite and ammonium bisulfite to form an ammonium thiosulfate-containing solution; the absorption being controlled by monitoring the oxidation reduction potential of the absorbing stream and varying the feed rates in response to the oxidation reduction potential measurements. An ammonium bisulfide-containing aqueous stream is contacted with and absorbs sulfur dioxide to form an aqueous stream containing the ammonium sulfite and ammonium bisulfite reagents. This sulfite/bisulfite-containing stream is combined with the ammonium thiosulfate-containing solution in a vessel to produce a combined solution. A portion of the combined solution is recycled back to contact the feed gas and ammonium thiosulfate is recovered from the remaining portion of the combined solution.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
March 14, 2001
Date of Patent:
March 18, 2003
Assignee:
El Paso Merchant Energy Petroleum Company
Inventors:
Mark C. Anderson, Sidney P. White, Ronald E. Shafer