Patent ID: 7635424

Claim:
A method of capturing mercaptans contained in a natural gas, wherein the following stages are carried out: a) circulating the natural gas through a molecular sieve adsorbing part of the mercaptans contained in the natural gas so as to obtain a mercaptan-depleted natural gas and a mercaptan-laden molecular sieve, b) circulating a purge gas through the mercaptan-laden molecular sieve obtained in stage a) so as to desorb the mercaptans from the sieve and to obtain a mercaptan-enriched purge gas, and c) contacting the mercaptan-enriched purge gas obtained in stage b) with a liquid solvent comprising olefins and an acid catalyst so that the mercaptans are absorbed by the liquid solvent and react with the olefins contained in the solvent so as to form sulfides, then discharging the mercaptan-depleted purge gas.