Patent ID: 7566393

Claim:
A method of sorbing sulfur compounds from a fluid comprising the steps of: providing a sorbent material comprising a member selected from the group consisting of: (a) a composition including a porous first material impregnated with a second material, said first material selected from the group consisting of metal oxides and metal hydroxides having a crystallite size of less than about 15 nm, and said second material selected from the group consisting of metals, metal cations, and metal oxides, (b) a composition selected from the group consisting of Ga 2 O 3 , In 2 O 3 , SnO, Ga 2 O 3 .Al 2 O 3 , Ga 2 O 3 .In 2 O 3 , and In 2 O 3 .Al 2 O 3 and having an average particle size between about 3-30 nm, (c) a composite comprising a metal oxide nanoparticle at least partially coated with or intimately intermingled with graphitic carbon, said metal oxide nanoparticle having an average crystallite size of from about 2-50 nm, and (d) mixtures of (a)-(c); and contacting the fluid with said sorbent material for sorption of at least a portion of the sulfur compounds therein.