Abstract: A foul gas containing H.sub.2 S is brought into the presence of SO.sub.2 in a first stage to permit the reaction between SO.sub.2 and H.sub.2 S to form water and elemental sulfur. The SO.sub.2 is solubilized in an absorbent composition which includes a solvent for both SO.sub.2 and H.sub.2 S so that the H.sub.2 S in the foul gas is first solubilized in the absorbent composition where it is then brought into contact with the solubilized SO.sub.2 for reaction between a major portion of the H.sub.2 S and the solubilized SO.sub.2 to form elemental sulfur. The gas is then passed to a second stage where any remaining H.sub.2 S is removed by aqueous catalytic reaction of the type conventional in the prior art. The apparatus utilized to carry out the present invention preferably includes a two stage column in which the first stage provides the absorbent material containing solubilized SO.sub.2 for reaction with the H.sub.2 S of the foul gas. During the SO.sub.2 extraction stage the major portion of the H.sub.

Abstract: In accordance with the invention an alkali metal is reacted with an ionizable hydrogen compound selected from the group consisting of hydrochloric acid, water or mixtures thereof to produce hydrogen and an alkali metal chloride or alkali metal hydroxide, depending upon whether hydrochloric acid or water is used to react with the alkali metal. The alkali metal chloride produced directly as a by-product of the hydrogen production step, or subsequently from the alkali metal hydroxide, is heated in the presence of aluminum to produce the alkali metal for reuse in the process and aluminum chloride. The aluminum chloride is hydrolyzed to aluminum hydroxide and hydrochloric acid. The hydrochloric acid can be recycled to produce hydrogen by reaction directly with the alkali metal or can be used to convert the alkali metal hydroxide formed during the hydrogen production step to the alkali metal chloride which can be recycled back into the process.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a process for incinerating burnable wastes, such as plastics, and to the treatment of the gases generated by such incineration. The waste materials are buried in a landfill, combustion is initiated with an explosion which simultaneously creates a combustion chamber as well as initiating incineration. A fuel and an oxidizing gas are supplied to the combustion chamber and conduits are provided for discharging the gases formed during the incineration process. The angle of introduction of the fuel and/or fuel and air mixture controls the direction of the incineration process. Landfill gases can be fed into the fuel conduit pipe for utilization as a combustion fuel. In addition, when using a liquid fuel, good results have been achieved by combining a suspension of a carbonate or bicarbonate in the fuel which serves to reduce chloride gases such as phosgene which are generated during the decomposition of plastics such as polyvinylchloride.