Abstract: The invention is directed to a process for the catalytic reduction of sulphur dioxide from a gas mixture at least containing 10 vol. % of water, in which process the gas mixture is passed over a sulphur resistant hydrogenation catalyst in sulphidic form, at a space velocity of at least 2000 h−1, in the presence of a reducing component, preferably at least partly consisting of hydrogen, in a molar ratio or reducing component to sulphur dioxide of more than 10 up to 100, at a temperature of 125° C. to 300° C., followed by passing the gas mixture, after the said reduction, through a dry oxidation bed for the oxidation of sulphur compounds, more in particular hydrogen sulphide, to elemental sulphur.

Abstract: The invention is directed to a process for the selective oxidation of hydrogen sulphide to elemental sulphur, said process comprising feeding a hydrogen sulphide containing gas to a bed of a catalyst that promotes the selective oxidation of hydrogen sulphide to elemental sulphur, together with an oxygen containing gas, whereby the amount of oxygen in the gasmixture leaving the selective oxidation bed is kept substantially constant at a pre-set value using a feed forward control of the amount of oxygen containing gas to be fed to the selective oxidation.