Nobukatsu Hasebe

53893514, Feb 14, 1995

Nov 4, 1992

7/970695

Nobuyasu Hasebe - Rancho Palos Verdes CA
Nobukatsu Hasebe - Rancho Palos Verdes CA

C01B 1704
C01B 1716

4232421

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.

52864731, Feb 15, 1994

Feb 1, 1993

8/011740

Nobuyasu Hasebe - Rancho Palos Verdes CA
Nobukatsu Hasebe - Rancho Palos Verdes CA

C01B 308

423657

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. The aluminum hydroxide thus formed can be electrolyzed to aluminum metal and water to provide a method of recovering aluminum metal from aluminum scrap which previously has not be readily recyclable.